


A Fae in Wolf's Clothing

by NightshadeDawn



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Magic, Alternate Universe - Werewolf, Angst, Angst and Tragedy, Angst with a Happy Ending, Children of Characters, Daichi and Suga are good parents, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Fairy Hinata, Falling In Love, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Humor, Idiots in Love, It Ain't Easy, Kid Fic, LOVE FOR EVERYONE, Light Angst, M/M, Mpreg, Trans Kiyoko Shimizu, Transphobia, Volleyball Dorks in Love, Werewolf Kageyama, honestly there's probably going to be more angst, most of that is currently for an OC, only the fae though, they're precious children, this is the life of a bunch of magical creatures/people
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-11
Updated: 2018-11-22
Packaged: 2018-11-30 14:35:59
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 45
Words: 58,854
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11465640
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NightshadeDawn/pseuds/NightshadeDawn
Summary: Pack units. Large families. And only half of them have fur.It started with a little bundle of orange hair and shining wings on their doorstep. And it only escalated from there.It'll only be a collection of One Shots in the same universe.





	1. Finding A Fairy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daichi and Koushi find a baby with wings on their doorstep...

        There was a cry from the front doorstep. Koushi had been snuggled up against his mate after putting their seven (yes, _seven_ ) pups to bed when they'd heard it.

        His ears immediately perked up. He looked over to Daichi. "Did you...?"

        The larger man nodded. They stood from their place on the couch and Koushi opened the front door.

        Lying on the front door was a small bundle, bright orange hair sticking out of the top. Koushi picked the bundle up, a flap falling away to reveal the face of a small boy. Tiny hands reached out and grabbed onto Koushi's finger and the man's face lit up.

        He looked up to Daichi pleadingly. 

        "Oh no," Daichi said, shaking his head and pinching his nose. "We're _not_ taking in another one."

        "But _Daichiiiiii_ ," Koushi pleaded, holding up the tiny boy. "Please? Just look at him! We can't just turn him away!"

        "We can give him to Oikawa-"

        Koushi pulled the baby even closer to his chest. "We're not giving him to that mangy wolf!"

        Daichi sighed as the baby fussed. He grabbed Daichi's pinky and Daichi's will was slowly crumbling. Paired with Koushi's big eyes, he had no use. 

        He sighed. "Alright, alright. Bring him in. He'll have to sleep with one of the other boys tonight. Tomorrow we'll get him his own bed. We probably have some old clothes of Noya's that'll fit him..."

        Koushi cheered, snuggling the baby close.

        The baby opened his eyes to reveal bright, brown eyes. Koushi's smiled was gentle as he looked down at his son.

        "Hinata Shoyou sounds fitting, doesn't it?"


	2. Who's Got the Baby?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's about a week after baby Shoyou's addition to the family. And his powers are causing a bit of trouble...

        Koushi and Daichi had seven pups, eight with Shoyou. Three were fae. Two were a girls. 

        Ryuu was a very rambunctious pup at the age of two. He was always switching between his human and wolf form and jumping on everything. He was still in his teething stage, too... Seven year old Seako was honestly no better. She always took the the biscuits they'd gotten for the younger ones. The two fathers never really needed much to know where the two were: they were always so loud. They had been since Koushi and Daichi had taken them in.

        Chikara was another story. He was just about two, and had yet to say a single word. He was also _human_. Very, very much human. He trailed along after some of his more magical siblings, but always seemed to give him another bruise or scratch (which for the first little while after Koushi had taken him in had the man fretting and babying him nonstop).

        Kei didn't like anyone. He literally didn't like anyone but his parents, and would often _bite_. His siblings, neighbors passing by, random strangers. He was always biting, whether in wolf or human form. It was okay while he didn't have teeth, but as they began growing...

        Yuu, age two, and Hikota, age one, were their other two little fae. Yuu had been a _handful_. He'd always been tiny, which often concerned both Daichi and Koushi because he was their first fae and they didn't know anything about raising one and he was just _everywhere_ all at once. Like most fae children, he had a power that came out unpredictably. For the first few weeks, Koushi and Daichi were concerned about the random puppy running about their house until they discovered it was just Yuu. Hikota was the easiest to deal with: she only healed remarkably fast.

        But for all the trouble the others caused, _Shoyou was the worst_. He could turn invisible.

        "Daichi!" Koushi exclaimed shrilly. "I can't find him!"

        Daichi, a couple rooms over changing diapers, immediately rushed into the room with a cloth over his shoulder. "He's disappeared again?"

        Koushi nodded, his brain malfunctioning. _Where's my baby? What happened to him? Gotta find him, gotta find him, gotta find him-!_

        Suddenly, there was an excited giggle that was distinctly Shoyou's coming from the bedroom across the hall.

        The two worried parents ran into the room to see Yuu playing patty-cakes with the little orange haired fae. Both sighed in relief as Shouyou flickered in and out of sight as he and Yuu clapped hands. Both of their wings flickered behind them while Yuu sang in his garbled baby voice.

        Koushi sighed again, leaning into his mate. "This one's going to cause problems for us, isn't he?" he asked.

        Daichi kissed the smaller man's head. "All of them are going to be a handful," he lamented. And truly, Koushi had to agree.

        "I think it's nap time."


	3. Just for Tonight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's bed time, but sleeping isn't happening any time soon...

        "Good night Saeko, Akiteru." The young boy whined as Koushi kissed the top of his head.

        "Paaaapaaaa," he whined. "I'm getting too old for that!"

        Koushi chuckled and kissed him again for good measure. Daichi tucked their two oldest into their beds while Koushi picked up a couple stray toddlers. "Good night Ryuu, Yuu, and Chikara." Shoyou giggled as he was placed in his crib next to Hitoka. "Good night Shoyou, Kei, and Hitoka."

        "And good night, Koushi," Daichi said with a heavy sigh as the man came out from the last bedroom after the rounds of kisses. Daichi nestled his nose into Koushi's hair.

        "Long day?" Koushi asked and Daichi nodded. 

        Koushi kissed his cheek and the two made their way to their bedroom. 

        A loud clap of thunder resounded outside and the pitterpatter of rain against glass began.

        "Well, looks like the clouds finally broke," Daichi said, looking out the window before drawing the curtains closed. "They've been looking nasty all day."

        "The forcast claimed it's supposed to rain all week," Koushi stated.

        The two of men climbed into bed and were just barely dozing off when the door opened.

        Daichi groaned as a small body jumped on him. "Huh?" he grumbled, groggily opening his eyes. Seako was sitting on his hip, eyes wide and watery.

        "Daddy, the thunder's scary..." she muttered. Then she let out a small shreik as it resounded again.

        She jumped the middle of the two dads and burrowed her face into Koushi's chest.

        Koushi rubbed her back and looked over at Daichi. "Do you think, just for tonight...?"

        Daichi nodded. "Yeah, just for tonight," he agreed. Then they both cuddled around Seako after Koushi closed their door.

        Five minutes later, the door was bursting back in again and Ryuu and Yuu jumped onto the bed, not even bothing to say anything as they crawled under their parents' covers.

        Daichi held up the blanket to look at them, both boy curled together by Daichi and Koushi's legs.

        "You two scared as well?" Ryuu nodded and Yuu slipped into his puppy form, something he hadn't really done in a while.

        "Just for tonight?"

        "Just for tonight."

        The next round of thunder brought in Chikara, the one after that had Akiteru shaking at the door. 

        "Is something wrong?" Koushi asked, rolling over to look at the boy. "Do you want to come lay with us, too?"

        Akiteru bit his lip, taking a shaking step forward and clearly wanting to say yes. Instead, he shook his head.

        "K-Kei's crying and I don't know what to do!" he claimed. 

        Koushi sighed and got up. "I'll get him," he told Daichi. "I'll be back in a minute."

        In the end, all three of their youngest were crying because of the storm and had to be brought into their room. 

        "Sure you don't want to join us?" Daichi asked as Akiteru stood in the corner by the dresser. 

        "I- I'm a big kid! I'm not scared!" The young boy bolted from the room, slamming the door behind him.

        It took some time, each of the children complaining of their spot on the bed and someone's foot was ALWAYS in another's back but eventually they were able to get settled and go to sleep.

        In the middle of the night, Koushi was woken by Daichi. The dark haired man held a finger to his lips but gestured to their pups. 

        Koushi unsurprised to see Akiteru in the mix of sleeping pups.

        He smiled fondly, though he was on the very edge of the bed with children sprawled all over him and an aching back, which was doomed to be worse in the morning.

        Daichi pulled out his phone and snapped a(n awkward) photo of them all.

        "Just for tonight?" he whispered.

        Koushi smiled. "Just for tonight."


	4. Dog Pile

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shoyou says his first words! Except, you really shouldn't say those around their household...
> 
>  
> 
> Shoyou is just about two here. FYI, some kids can start talking before they're even one (my sister is a prime example) while others can start talking a while after they've turned two. Changelings, such as Shoyou is, are normally smarter than the average human. But I think he's about average.

        "Dog pile" is not a phrase you want to say in Daichi's household. 

        Because the one who said it always, always ended up at the bottom of a dog pile.

        _Out of all the words-!_

        Ryuu had said "Dada", Yuu had been "why", Chikara had finally said "Papa" a few months after's he'd turned two. Kei had been barely a year when he'd said "No", Hitoka had said "Papa" as well.

        So out of all the words to be Shoyou's first, _why_ did they have to be "dog pile"?

        "Dog pile! Dog pile! Dog Pile!" Shoyou chanted, clapping his small hands, while Daichi bounced him on his knee.

        " _Ohhhh_ no." The elder man groaned as excited shouts could be heard from every which way inside the house. 

        The pounding of footfalls resounded and excited yips could have been heard three doors down as all the pups (all the werewolf babies and Yuu in wolf form) jumped onto Daichi. 

        Daichi groaned, the heavy weight not allowing him to move a muscle. Paws and claws and knees and elbows dug into everything, and Daichi could feel his arms already going to sleep as they settled down, though they refused to get off.

        All of his pups curled up on him and began drifting off, causing a slight panic for Daichi. Ryuu's butt was right by his face, and the boy had some _mean_ gas when he was asleep (said from experience).

        About half an hour later, Koushi came through the front door.

        "I'm home!" he called. 

        "Wel- Welcome back!" Daichi whisper-shouted from his place under the mass amount of pups. "How was work?

        "Oh, it was fine-" Koushi gasped then laughed at the sight of a buried Daichi. 

        "It's not exactly that funny," Daichi grumbled, attempting to sit up but ultimately failing due to a baby Shoyou on his chest and Hitoka on one arm while Saeko latched onto the other.

        Koushi couldn't stop laughing. "Except it _really_ is," he said, hiding it behind his mouth. He whipped out his phone and took a picture of the group. "I'm going to go change," he explained, walking away and still chuckling. 

        "Hey, aren't you going to help me?!" Daichi exclaimed. 

        "Nope!"


	5. Welcome to the Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yuu meets someone, and all at once they've got a new pack member.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I promised some Tobio action, but I PROMISE: next chapter. Next chapter Tobio joins the pack. And thank you, THANK YOU for all the amazing comments. I love you all!
> 
> And I make bad jokes, I'm sorry.

        Yuu was seven year old, and a proud second grader. 

        He had a lot of friends in class, even if he didn't do the best, and was the Kid's Volleyball team Daichi coached. 

        But he was in general, an excitable boy who disliked anyone being left out. 

        Which was why, one day at recess while playing some sort of ball game, when Yuu noticed a boy sitting by himself under a tree he bounced over.

        "Hey, you wanna play with us?" Yuu asked, unperturbed by the fact the boy was quite a bit bigger than him. Well, he should have been used to it by that point anyway.

        The boy, with long hair framing his face and hiding his large brown eyes, shook his head. "N-No thank you," he stuttered out, looking away from Yuu.

        "Hey, hey! You're kinda dirty!" He also had the lack of a filter, which Koushi tried his damnest to retify but it wasn't working. "Did you play in the mud or something before school?"

        The boy shook his head. "N-No."

        Yuu was about to bombard the other boy with another series of questions when the boy in front of him stomach rumbled loudly. 

        Yuu laughed, smiling brightly though the boy tried to shy further away from him out of embarassment. "You must be hungry, huh?" he said.

        "I- I didn't get breakfast this morning..." the boy mumbled from his place hiding his face in his knees. "Not like it's not normal... I don't get a lunch either..."

        Yuu blanched. _How could anyone go without food?!_

        Yuu himself usually had seconds with breakfast, but some of his wolf siblings ate at least three. Not to mention a couple small (large) snacks before lunch.

        "U-Um, h-hey!" Yuu exclaimed, getting on his knees and leaning in closer to the boy. "You wanna share with me?! I've got tons to share!"

        The boy looked up hungrily and Yuu pulled his bento out of his backpack.

        With a smile, Yuu held it out to the boy. Looking hesitant for only a moment, the boy took the bento from Yuu and slowly dug in.

        Yuu watched him in amazement, not speaking for once, as he ate. The boy had almost completely finished off the bento when he sheepishly held it back out to Yuu. 

        Yuu took it back but set it aside in favor of paying attention to the boy. "So why don't you get food?" he asked, tilting his head. 

        The boy looked down, playing with his hands in his lap. "I- I don't have a home anymore," he mumbled. "Mama and Papa went to Heaven when our home burned down..."

        Yuu's eyes widened in disbelief. Then his features widened into a grin. "Then you can come live with us!" he exclaimed. "We've got a lot of us at home, but Daddy and Papa are always taking people in!"

        Without waiting for the boy's response, Yuu jumped to his feet, only just barely remembering his backpack and running off towards the building.

        "Meet me here after school!" he shouted behind him. 

        Yuu was antsy for the rest of the day, barely able to contain himself as the school day dragged on.

        Finally, once the final bell had rung, Yuu pushed through the crowds and found the boy from before. 

        With a big grin, Yuu took his wrist and dragged him back to the front of the school where Koushi was helping Hitoka into the car. 

        "Papa!" Yuu exclaimed, running over. 

        "Oh, Yuu!" Koushi exclaimed. "How was your day? Oh, and who's this?"

        "Papa, he doesn't have a home anymore cause his Mama and Papa went to heaven and he doesn't get any food! Can he come stay with us, please, please, _pleeeeeease_?" Yuu begged, his eyes going wide. 

        Koushi had need only take a look at the boy (taller than Ryuu, but practically skin and bones and covered in dirt) and hear what Yuu told him to already claim the boy as part of the pack.

        "Of course he will," Koushi claimed. He looked over at the shaking boy. "That is, if you want to?"

        The boy looked over at Yuu, then back at Koushi before nodding. 

        Koushi grinned widely before gesturing them into the car. "Sorry, it might be a bit cramped," he apologized. 

        Once everyone was buckled and in their seats, Koushi climbed into the driver's seat and took off. 

        "By the way," Yuu said, poking the boy as his eyes widened. "What's your name?"

        "A-Asahi," the boy muttered softly. Yuu laughed and clapped his hands.

        "That's so cool!" he exclaimed. "I'm Yuu!"

        "Me?"

        "No, Yuu! Y-U-U."

        Koushi smiled at the boys through the rearveiw mirror. "Welcome to the family, Asahi."


	6. Bring You Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I hate Tooru, I make him a dick. Hajime's a good dad, though.
> 
> FYI, I probably messed up their personalities some, so I apologize for that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't kill you with kindness  
> I'll kill you with my words.  
> I'll wreck you with cuteness  
> And I'll burn you with the hurt.  
> Now tell me if you will  
> Which you think is worse?

        Tooru was a half-fae. But not just that, he was very, very vain. He didn't like the attention of his mate on anyone else.

        He hated anyone who took his "Iwa-chan"'s attention away from him.

        He hated Kageyama Tobio.

        Iwazumi Hajime was a wolf, a pack animal. He'd been raised in a large family, and had dreams of having his own large family.

        Tobio was one of his pups. Well, his and Tooru's.

        The thing about Tobio was he was talented, but he lacked the ability to comunicate. Hajime encoraged him, spending a little more time focused on his son to try to break him out of his shell.

        And Tooru couldn't _stand_ it. In a word, he was jealous of the boy.

        He was no help to Tobio, he hid the young boy away. To keep people from seeing his talent, to keep his Hajime's attention on _him_.

        But somehow, _someone_ always noticed Tobio.

        And by the time Tobio was thirteen, Tooru's jealousy had overflowed.

        There's no one thing that could have set him off. He had years worth of jealousy built up in him. The littlest thing could have been the breaking point.

        But whatever it was, Tooru struck out. It was the first time he had done so.

        Tobio hadn't expected it, when he saw the hand swinging towards him. He was shocked, he couldn't move.

        "Tooru!" Hajime shouted, catching Tooru's hand before it could strike Tobio. "What are you doing?!"

        "I'm _done_!" Tooru screeched. "I'm done with him! I want him out of this house!"

        Hajime stumbled back, letting go of Tooru's wrist. "Wh-What..."

        Tooru was seething, balling his hands into fists. "I want him out of this house by tonight," Tooru snapped, taking up his keys and leaving the house, allowing the door to slam shut behind him.

        Hajime looked helplessly between his son and the door his husband had left out of.

        Running a hand through his hair, he looked over to Tobio, still frozen in shock. His hands were shaking, his blue eyes blown wide.

        Hajime went over to him and brought him into a hug. "I'm sorry," he whispered, his voice breaking. Tobio clutched at Hajime's shirt tightly, unable to speak or even cry.

        "D-Dad-"

        "I know, I know," Hajime said, rubbing his back. He pulled away a bit. "Let's- Let's go for a drive, okay?"

        Tobio nodded.

        After grabbing his keys, Hajime instructed his two eldest, Issei and Takahiro to watch the house for a few hours.

        Hajime and Tobio climbed in the car and drove away, neither speaking. After a while, Hajime turned on the radio quietly to fill the silence, but the tension was still thick.

        They drove for hours, even leaving the city. It was almost dark by the time they stopped in front of a nice house.

        It wasn't a mess, but obviously lived in. Bikes laid on the sidewalk hazzardesly, flowers planted in a small garden with buldging watermelons and carrots, a couple wind chimes hung near the door. On the other side of the fence, inaudible screaming and cheering and laughing could be heard.

        Hajime nodded to Tobio and both climbed out. Hajime made his way to the front door and knocked on the smooth wood.

        "Coming!" came the call from the other side.

        The door opened opened to reveal a grey haired young man, lines lining his eyes and a smile gracing his lips. The man blinked and gasped at the sight of Hajime.

        "Iwazumi-san!" he exclaimed. "I didn't expect to see you! What brings you here?" He looked over at Tobio, slightly hiding behind Hajime. "Oh, and who's this?"

        "Sugawara-san. This- This is my son, Tobio," Hajime said with a heavy sigh. "It's- It's long story. May we come in?"

        Suga jumped. "Oh, of course! Sorry, come in." He moved out of the way so the two could enter. "Ah, the others are playing volleyball in the back, if you'd like to go play with them, Tobio."

        Tobio's eyes lit up and he looked over at Hajime for permission. Hajime nodded and Tobio took off out the side door just as Sawamura came in.

        "Iwazumi!" he exclaimed.

        Hajime nodded to him. "Sawamura," he greeted.

        Suga looked between the two of them and gestured to the dining room."Come on, I'll get us some coffee and you can explain what's going on," he suggested. Both nodded and they all entered the dining room.

        It took a while, and it had gotten dark outside by the time Hajime had finished his story.

        "Oh, the poor boy," Suga said, his face falling.

        Sawamura took his hand and squeezed it.

        "I- I don't want him to get hurt because of Tooru," Hajime explained. "I know you've got quite a few of your own, but please, if you could, would you take him? I don't know anyone else I can turn to about this, and I _can't_ just kick him to the street. He's my _son_. I'll compensate you, pay for _any_ of his needs that arise-"

        Suga placed a hand on his should, smiling gently. "There's no need for that," he stated. "We'll take him."

        Hajime felt like weeping. " _Thank you_ , thank you so much," he said, holding his head with his hands and pressing his palms into his eyes to prevent himself from crying. "Thank you, thank you."

        It was only a bit later that Tobio and Hajime stood in the doorway. "You're gonna stay here for a while, okay, kiddo?" Hajime said. "Suga-san and Sawamura-san are friends of mine, they'll take care of you."

        "You'll come back, won't you?" Tobio asked.

        Hajime gave him a strained smile, holding him tightly. "Yeah, I'll come visit when I can." _When Tooru's not looking._

        "I'll seen you soon, Dad."

        "Yeah, I'll see you soon."


	7. Midnight Howls

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Midnight Howl is an event all werewolves (and family) look forward to. Koushi and Daichi's children are no exception. The only difference, is now they've got Asahi...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story takes place shortly after Asahi joins the gang, making him about eight and the others 12 (Seako, Akiteru), 7 (Yuu, Ryuu, Chikara), and 6 (Kei, Shoyou, Hiktoka) respectively.

        "Yuu, is your bag packed?"

        "Yup!"

        "Did you make sure to get Asahi's down from the closet?"

        "I got it!" Seako called from down the hallway.

        The Sawmura/Sugawara household was hectic. Children rushing everywhere. The adults checking, double checking, and triple checking that they had everything. 

        "Kei, don't forget your bear," Koushi said as he walked by, ruffling the boy's hair. Kei pouted, gripping onto the straps of his backpack.

        "I don't need it anymore!" he exclaimed. "I'm old enough to go without him!"

        With that, he ran off towards Shoyou and Hitoka, both whom held their respective stuffed animals. Koushi sent a pleading glance over to his oldest son. "Will you...?" Akiteru nodded, heading into the youngest bedroom. 

        Koushi couldn't help but think it might have been time to change up the sleeping arrangements. Both Akiteru and Seako were old enough to be wanting their own rooms, and Hitoka couldn't sleep in the same room as Kei and Shoyou forever.

        When Akiteru reemerged from the room, he held Kei's stuffed bear in his hand and was in the process of stuffing it in his backpack.

        Daichi came through the front door, patting his hands together and looking pleasantly disheveled. "Get the sleds up alright?" Koushi asked. Daichi nodded. 

        "Tied securely to the roof. Triple checked." 

        "Alright, last call for the bathroom, then we're heading out!" Koushi called. 

        All the kids scrambled to be the first in line, resulting in going from oldest to youngest. It took another good ten minutes to get the group into the van and out onto the road. 

        For the first few miles, everything was peaceful, Koushi keeping the younger ones entertained with nursery songs.

        Then came the arguments.

        "Ryuu's touching me!" Seako shouted. 

        "Am not!"

        "Papa! Kei pulled my hair!"

        "Tattletale!"

        "Boys, please-"

        "Seako's taking up the whole seat!

        "I am not! I'm not fat!"

        "I never said you were!"

        Koushi sighed. "Seako, Akiteru-"

        "Get off, get off, get off!"

        "Paaaapaaa! Shoyou hit me!"

        "You pulled my hair first!"

        "Shoyou, it's not nice to hit-"

        "Ha!"

        "It's not nice to pull hair either, Kei."

        "Do I have to pull this car over?" Daichi demanded as they continued fighting. 

        "No, Dad," the kids chorused.

        There was blissful silence for a few minutes, broken only momentarily by Seako asking for the radio turned on.

        Soon, chatter returned to the car. Yuu and Ryuu were excitedly talking about a new cartoon that had recently started playing on Saturday morning. Chikara, Asahi, and Akiteru were talking race cars ("Like what Daddy works on!" Shoyou butted in at one point) while Shoyou and Hitoka were talking nonsense. Kei was somewhere between pouting and drifting off to sleep while Seako tried to read a book for school. 

        Then Hitoka asked the dreaded question: "Are we there yet?"

        "No, we've still got a couple of miles," Koushi said, leaning an elbow against the window and his cheek in his palm. 

        Silence reigned again. "Hmm, how 'bout now?" Shoyou piped up. 

        "No, Shoyou, not yet." This time it was Daichi who answered. 

        "Now?"

        "No."

        "Are we there now?"

        "Not yet."

        "How about _now_?"

        "Seako, not you too!" Koushi complained with an exasperated sigh.

        "Sorry, I couldn't resist." Seako smirked down into her book, trying to hide her giggles.

        "Daddy, I have to go potty," Yuu whined. 

        "Can it wait until we get there?" Daichi questioned. 

        "No! I gotta go now!" the small boy exclaimed. 

        Daichi sighed. "We're almost there-"

        "But I really, really gotta go!" Yuu was beginning to do the potty dance in his chair, squirming uncomfortably. "I _reeeeally_ gotta go!"

        "Oh!" Koushi exclaimed, pointing down the road. "We're here!"

        "Finally!" Daichi said, pulling up into the parking lot. 

        Everyone piled out of the car and Koushi and Daichi began picking out their bags. "Akiteru, Seako, can you take the others to the bathrooms?" Koushi said. "We'll take care of these. You know where the cabin is."

        "We'll be back!" Akiteru said over his shoulder, Shoyou and Yuu pulling at his hands.

        The two picked up their supplies, as much as they could, and began walking down the trail.

        "Hey, Sawamura, Sugawara!" The two looked down the trail as two other men walked towards them. A man with bleached blonde hair and a cigarette hanging from his lips, the other a shorter man with brown hair and glasses. 

        "Uwaki, Takeda," Daichi greeted. 

        "Just arrive?" Takeda asked. Koushi nodded. 

        "Yes, the kids have been excited for this Midnight Howl. We've got another one this time around," he explained with a grin. Uwaki whistled. 

        "Yikes, I don't know how you deal with it," he said, nudging Daichi's side. "Three's a handful as it is. I couldn't imagine nine." Uwaki looked between their loaded arms and the van with the sleds still tied on top."Need a hand?"

        "We'd be grateful," Daichi told him. 

        Uwaki nodded, running up to the van and taking the two sleds down with ease. The four headed down to Koushi and Daichi's cabin.

        The Midnight Howl is an event most all werewolves adore. One every month, usually around the time of the full moon, all the packs in the area gather in a forest or park run by fellow wolves. 

        The main events are over three days. There's games and picnics during the day, with story telling around the camp fire at night. 

        And then, of course, the main event. All the kids love it, because they're allowed to stay up past their bedtimes only for these three nights. When the moon is at its peak, all the wolves take on their wolf forms, wolf-less children and the occasional adult getting on another's sled. Then the pack _runs_. With their own and other packs, it's an exhilarating feeling. 

        The feeling of the wind whipping through your fur, the ground beneath your feet. The feeling of freedom, of power, of being invincible. It's really rather addicting.

        And it was almost time. "Now, I know it's your first time with us, so you can ride the sled if you need to," Koushi offered to Asahi as he finished hooking Daichi, already transformed, into the harness. 

        Daichi rubbed his snout against Koushi's hand in an exasperated manor and Koushi just shook his head. 

        "I- I don't think I'll need to," Asahi said. He closed his eyes and thick, glossy fur began sprouting on his body. Moments later, a large (well, for a pup) wolf stood in his place.

        "Wow!" Yuu said. "That's so cool! I didn't know you were a wolf too!" With a jump, Yuu turned as well. Ryuu and Kei were already turned. 

        Koushi smiled down at his pups. Then he turned to Seako and Akiteru. "Alright, after I get these two set up, you two will need to strap me in," he said. 

        "Roger that!" they called. 

        After Shoyou and Hitoka were all set on Daichi's sled, Koushi turned into his white wolf in contrast to Daichi's black. Seako and Akiteru worked quickly to strap the second harness to Koushi's form, Chikara settling in on the sled, and turned as well. 

        A howl came from down the mountain, marking the beginning. Daichi howled in return, followed by the rest of his pack. He set off at a run, Koushi and the pups racing him.

        And they all howled loudly that night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I've got a few plans for after this chapter. Please tell me which one you'd like first!
> 
> 1&2- both of these will expand on the lore of this universe. 1 will expand on the fae while 2 I introduce witches. The rest is a surprise!
> 
> 3- I introduce Kiyoko! But there's something different about her... I won't tag to give away spoilers until I've written the chapter!
> 
> 4- Daichi gets a call from animal control in the middle of work saying that his "dog" has been running around off leash again. It's Uwaki.
> 
> 5- Shoyou and Kei meet Yamaguchi.
> 
> 6- They've accepted Tobio into the pack and they show him that. 
> 
> 7- Daichi is a great dad, for dealing with an experimental 13yr old girl. (Lipstick IS involved)
> 
> 8- Asahi and Yuu have somewhere they go every Saturday. It's not a surprise Asahi does. Yuu, however...


	8. Part of the Pack

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> #6- Tobio had been living with this new, strange pack for about three months. New school, new room, new people. New problems. It's time for others to see that if you mess with ONE of the pack, you mess with ALL of the pack.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am not a nice person,  
> Don't trust the words I say.  
> I'll make you sad, angry.  
> And I didn't even plan it that way.
> 
> But, no, seriously. I'm NOT NICE. Kageyama's gettin' bullied, and if it bothers you, please skip over this chapter. I'm not gonna try to make this extreme, but the story goes where it goes...

        Since the night Hajime had dropped him off three months prior, Tobio hadn't seen his father, though he still waited for him to come. To take him back to the familiar, where Tobio _knew_ what to do. When to avoid Tooru when he was in a mood, when to duck out of sight, when he could speak and when he should be silent. When to be the kid he was or hang out with his brothers. 

        Koushi and Daichi, as he was told to call them, ran a household that Tobio didn't understand. Everyone was loud, the house was always a mess, there was no order to anything. Someone could shout at one end of the house and someone on the other end would answer in another shouted, no matter how many times Koushi himself shouted at them to not do it.

        But there was also the fact that someone was always trying to include Tobio.

        Tobio wasn't exactly uncomfortable, he just didn't _understand_.

        Many of his things had been sent by mail, and some letters. Hajime was trying his best to reason with Tooru, but Tooru was immovable on the subject.

        Tobio wouldn't have minded being ignored by Tooru, being left out constantly, being reprimanded for things he didn't understand. He just wanted to go _home_.

        Every night, Tobio would mark off another day he'd spent in the company of the different pack (the pack that wasn't his, the pack he didn't belong in). The day after the three month mark, Tobio went to his first day of his new school. 

        He didn't share classes with any of the others, though Shoyou, Hitoka, and Kei were all in his year.

        Things fell into a routine: school, walk home with Shoyou (most days, he disappeared every Wednesday with Hitoka and Yuu, though he seemed intent on spending as much time with Tobio as he could), play volleyball, do homework, eat dinner, go to bed. Repeat. 

        It was bland, boring. 

        The way it changed wasn't something Tobio wanted, though. 

        He had been dragged after the other 13 year olds to town for some running around, and he'd gotten separated from them. Not that he minded much. 

        He stood in front of an ice cream parlor, debating going in.

        That's when the shout came: "Well. If it isn't little Tobio!"

        At the sound of his name, Tobio turned sharply. Two of his brothers, Yutaro and Kentaro stood with a couple other boys Tobio didn't recognize. 

        His eyes went wide. "Y-Yutaro," Tobio gasped. "Kentaro. What are you doing here?"

        "Oh, just hanging around, doing stuff with people who actually _care_ ," Yutaro said, sauntering up to Tobio and sending a piercing glare in his direction. 

        "I don't know what you're-"

        Kentaro cut Tobio off with a growl. "You're a freak," he seethed, fisting Tobio's collar and pulling him close. "Why do you think Dad hasn't come back for you, even _called_? Because you're a freak, and we're all _better off without you_. Dad's not going to bring you back."

        Kentaro threw Tobio to the ground, his extra strength aiding him. 

        Tobio skidded on the concrete, hissing through his teeth and biting his tongue. Kentaro walked past him, kicking his stomach as he did so. 

        "Stay gone, freak!" he shouted over his shoulder as the others followed his example. 

        Tobio barely felt the hits, his mind whirling. _Dad's not coming back...? Better off without me...? A freak. Am I a freak? I'm a freak..._

        He was still curled up on the ground when the others finally found him, Shoyou and Hitoka running over to him while Kei leisurely followed behind.

        "Oh my gosh, are you alright?!" Hitoka exclaimed. 

        "I'm fine," Tobio grumbled, getting to his feet and brushing dirt off his jeans. "I just tripped, dummy."

        "Hey! Don't call her a dummy!"

        "You're right. You're the dumbass."

        "Hey!"

        And the incident was forgotten. Until Tobio's bath that night when he noticed the bruises growing on his stomach.

        That was, however, not the last time Tobio saw them. The friends of his brothers went to Tobio's school, and while the brothers themselves did not, their friends heard all about "freak" Tobio and took it upon themselves to do something about it.

        He returned home every day with another bruise, another scratch, another injury. But he never said a word. 

        One week turned into two, then into three and four and it was soon four months since Tobio had moved in.

        Tobio didn't know why he bothered anymore. _He isn't coming back, he promised but he isn't coming back._

        He'd been keeping the bumps and bruises hidden well. When he couldn't hide them, he blamed them on volleyball. No one questioned it. He thought he was safe.

        Tobio was dressing in the bathroom after his shower when the door suddenly opened, Shoyou behind his. Tobio stared wide eyed at him, while he stared wide eyed at Tobio's chest and stomach.

        Black and blue bruises, some yellow and green, littered Tobio's skin. 

        "Th-Those aren't from volleyball," Shoyou said. It was not a question, but instead a statement. Shoyou's eyes hardened, his lips setting in a line. He marched up to Tobio, grabbing his wrist. "Who did this to you?" Shoyou demanded. 

        Tobio shook him off with a glare. "Get lost, dumbass," he snapped, pulling his night shirt over his head. "It doesn't matter!"

        "Yes it does!" Shoyou exclaimed, going after Tobio as he left the bathroom.

        Tobio slammed the door in his face in answer. 

        The next day was a weekend. Tobio was in a sour mood, keeping his head down and kicking rocks as he was once again pulled around town. Some of the others were excited for a movie, so the group was going to the theater.

        Tobio, not in the mood, ditched them, wandering toward the park. 

        Which, in all honesty, was _not_ his brightest move.

        Yotaro, Kentaro, and company were there. 

        Tobio tried to pretend like he never saw them and escape before _they_ saw _him_ , but it didn't go as planned. 

        "Aw, did little Kageyama get abandoned and left all alone again?" one of the boys taunted in a baby voice.

        "I would be surprised, with that ugly mug."

        They all laughed, a boot coming from the side and hitting Tobio's stomach. He collapsed onto the ground with a huff. He glared at the boys who slowly began to surround him. One grabbed his hair and yanked, making him yelp. They laughed again.

        "Why don't you call for help?" Kentaro asked, tilting his head. "Oh, _wait._  You can't. Because there's no one out there who cares-"

        That was when he suddenly got a fist to the face. Tobio whipped his head to the side as Kentaro went flying. Ryuu stood there, glaring harshly while shaking his hand.

        The gang of bullies backed away from Tobio as the pack came to stand in front of him, as if to guard him. 

        "Who says?" Shoyou said lowly. "Who says no one cares about him?!"

        "That's right!" Hitoka exclaimed, her voice squeaking as she visibly trembled in fear. "He's one of us!"

        "He's part of the pack," Yuu agreed, slamming a fist into his other hand and grinning. 

        "And in the pack we protect each other," Chikara stated, helping Tobio to his feet with one of Tobio's arms around his neck. 

        Kei smirked over his shoulder at Tobio. "I may hate your guts, but you're part of us now," he claimed. Then he turned back to the bullies, cracking his knuckles. "Now, which of you turds am I biting first?"

        The brawl didn't last long; it took a glare (that wasn't _really_ a glare) from Asahi to send the bullies running home with their tails between their legs. And probably in need of a new pair of underwear as well. 

        Hitoka healed Tobio as best she could, but with inexperience using her power on others it didn't heal him completely. Asahi and Chikara helped him limp back to the house. 

        "Did you... mean what you said?" Tobio asked quietly. 

        "Of course, Bakayama," Shoyou said with a brilliant grin. "You're part of us now! You play volleyball with us."

        "Shoyou! Not everything is about volleyball!"

        "Yes it is."

        Hitoka threw her hands up into the air in exasperation at the comment from all her brothers, and extended company. "I give up!" she exclaimed. "There's no getting through to any of you!"

        As they stumbled through the doorway, Koushi came into the hall, eyes going wide. "Oh, you're back early," he stated. Then his features softened into a grin. "Tobio, there's someone waiting for you in the living room."

        Tobio broke away from the others, half stumbling and half running to the door. Hajime sat on one of the sofas, drinking coffee with Daichi.

        "Dad," Tobio breathed.

        "Hey, son," Hajime said, his eyes crinkling as he smiled. 

        Now, Tobio was never much of one for showing emotion. He wasn't the type of person to run into another's arms. But I think we can excuse it just this once, can't we? After everything he's been through.

        Because that is exactly what Tobio did. He ran to his father, throwing his arms around Hajime's neck like he had when he was still very young, hugging him with all his might.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next up is #8! Refer to the last chapter for the other numbers.


	9. Therapy Dogs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Asahi and Yuu go up to the library every Saturday and let the kids read to them. In dog form. They're favorites.
> 
> Asahi- 16, Yuu-15

        "Alright, we'll see you later, Pa!" Yuu called as he an Asahi headed out of the door. 

        "Be careful!" Koushi shouted after them.

        "Right!"

        After the door closed behind them, Yuu grabbed Asahi's hand and snuggled up to his side. The walk up to the library was peaceful, Asahi listening intently as Yuu talked nonsense. He never seemed to run out of things to say.

        The Kid's Corner at the library was busy as usual, animals and their owners everywhere and a million kids searching out their usual favorite animals. In the chaos of it all, Asahi and Yuu easily slipped into their animal forms.

        Asahi curled up on the floor by one of the couches, learning some time back that the staff didn't terribly like the animals on the furniture. Yuu curled into his side once again, though he didn't stay there long. When their usual kids came running over, Yuu jumped up and began barking and jumping around their heels gleefully.

        Yuu was popular with the young ones, the ones who were full of energy and just learning how to read.

        While Asahi may have looked scary in his human form, but the older kids just loved his wolf form. It was large, but furry and soft. And he was patient with them, not minding when they accidentally stepped on his paws or tail. And they liked to lay on him. 

        Asahi always looked forward to his Saturdays. Back when he was ten and his anxiety had begun getting out of control, Koushi and Daichi had suggested they enroll him in a therapy class to help him.

        It so happened that there had been one at the library and Yuu had offered to go with Asahi. When they arrived at the library, Asahi had been in wolf form (always feeling more comfortable in it) and they somehow found their way to a different room. Dogs everywhere, just sitting or laying and listening to different kids read to them. 

        Asahi had been hesitant at first, but over the years it had really helped him. 

        Asahi laid his head down on his folded paws, watching Yuu bound around a small boy and barely listening to the girl who was leaning against him. 

        If he could have smiled in his wolf form, he would have. Then a couple of voices made Asahi's head shoot up.

        "Come _ooooooon_! It'll be fine!"

        "Animals hate me. Besides, this is for _kids_."

        "It'll be fine!"

        Asahi spotted a mop of orange hair among the darker colors. Seeming to sense the eyes on him, Shoyou turned. The two locked eyes and Shoyou's jaw dropped. 

        Shoyou dragged Tobio over to him as the little girl ran off. "Asahi?!" he exclaimed. "I didn't expect to see you here!"

        Asahi whined and let out a yelp as Yuu jumped on his back, barking excitedly. 

        "Oh, Yuu! You're here too!" Shoyou knelt down in front of them. "Why are you here?" He tilted his head curiously as he asked the question.

        Asahi placed his chin on Shoyou's knee as if saying _It's a long story_. Shoyou shrugged and grinned. 

        "Well, we'll see you two later!" Shoyou exclaimed, tugging an irritated Tobio after him.

        Asahi turned his head to Yuu, signalling it was time to go. Yuu yipped and moved off Asahi and the two walked out of the library, going a few blocks away before turning back into humans. 

        Yuu took Asahi's hand and swung them back and forth as they walked. "How 'bout some ice cream?" he suggested. Asahi nodded. 

        "Yeah, that sounds good."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like this one isn't up to par with the rest of them... Oh well. Let me know if I'm terrible OOC. Please.
> 
> Here's the left over options:
> 
> 1&2- both of these will expand on the lore of this universe. 1 will expand on the fae while 2 I introduce witches. The rest is a surprise!
> 
> 3- I introduce Kiyoko! But there's something different about her... I won't tag to give away spoilers until I've written the chapter!
> 
> 4- Daichi gets a call from animal control in the middle of work saying that his "dog" has been running around off leash again. It's Uwaki.
> 
> 5- Shoyou and Kei meet Yamaguchi.
> 
> 7- Daichi is a great dad, for dealing with an experimental 13yr old girl. (Lipstick IS involved)


	10. What the Future Holds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's going to take a bit to get the next chapter out. Hopefully this'll tide you over.
> 
> Yes, the one with brown hair is me. No, I'm a girl.

 Tobio and Shoyou's twins.

I honestly just wanted to show off my editing powers. I still have to actually write a chapter. It'll be up later. Let this tide you over.

 


	11. Cookout

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Asahi doesn't have anyone who's his age, not really. So Koushi and Daichi set up a play date with one of their friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> #3! In comes Kiyoko! With a bit of #7 mixed in.

        Koushi looked out the kitchen window and smiled happily as the car pulled into the driveway.

        "Daichi! They're here!" he called as he took the plates outside. 

        After setting the plates of un-yet cooked hamburgers and hotdogs by the grill, the gate to the backyard squeaked open to allowed Daichi, Takeda, and Uwaki through, along with their three children.

        "Welcome!" Koushi called, going over to them to give each a small hug. "It's wonderful you could make it. The kids are excited to see you again, Hitoka and Shoyou have practically been bouncing off the walls." He looked down to the three children hiding behind their fathers. "I don't think you'll all remember me, it's been a long time since we saw each other. Kazohito, Hisahi, and... Kazuki, wasn't it?"

        Uwaki put a hand on the tiniest member of their group, a grin on his face. "It's Kiyoko now, actually," he said. "Kiyoko's a girl now."

        The young child must have recently made the decision, Koushi mused, what with the fairly short hair and new girly clothes. Cute little hair pins kept Kiyoko's hair out of her face.

        She blushed, hiding her face in Takeda's pants. 

        "My apologies," Koushi told her, holding out a hand. "A girl is always a nice addition to the house. I'm sure Hitoka and Seako would love to play with you or do your hair if you like. Seako's gotten pretty good at braids."

        Kiyoko's face lit up and she looked up at her parents. Uwaki ruffled her hair. "Go play, all of you," he barked. "Get outta here!"

        With excited laughter, the boys ran off to the makeshift volleyball court most of the others played on. After introducing Kiyoko to Hikota and Seako, Koushi returned to the other fathers as Daichi began grilling. 

        "So, Seako's gotten better at the hair thing, huh?" UIwaki asked, taking a cigarette out and lighting it up. Koushi grinned, going over and running a hand through Daichi's hair.

        "It's where these lovely little braids came from," he said proudly, earning an unmanly shriek from Daichi.

        "Koushi! I thought you got them all out!" he exclaimed in horror.

        Koushi chuckled. "But you look so handsome with them in," he teased, earning an eyeroll from Uwaki. 

        "Save it for the bedroom," Uwaki complained. 

        "How's your home life?" Koushi asked, offering sodas to their guests. They probably would have had something a little stronger, but Ryuu and Yuu were curious little nutheads that got into everything and wouldn't know the difference between a soda and a bear.

        "Oh, it's going wonderful," Takeda supplied. "The three of them are just darlings. We're actually talking about having another." Uwaki turned to stone at the words and Takeda gave him a playful glare. "Well, _I'm_ talking about having another. Keishin just does this every time I bring the subject up."

        "B-Because don't you think three is a handful?!" he exclaimed, almost dropping his cigarette while he made exaggerated movements.

        "Are you a wolf or not?" Takeda said with a small pout. "I thought wolves liked large packs."

        "We do, but-"

        "And now that we have Kiyoko, she needs to have a sister. And another girl is all I'm asking," Takeda stated. His eyes went large behind his glasses, 

        Uwaki groaned and scratched at his head. "Damn you, Ittetsu. You know I can't say no to you when you do that," he complained. Takeda wrapped his arms around Uawki's neck, kissing his cheek and grinning.

        "I know."

        Koushi laughed and brought Takeda away to talk while Daichi and Uwaki hung back by the grill, both complaining about their conniving husbands. They stood by and talked while watching and refereeing the volleyball game.

        At some point in the conversation, Takdea brought up carrying the baby, which immediately made Koushi whip his head over to man.

        "What do you mean?" he asked, genuinely curious.

       Takeda chuckled slightly, scratching his cheek. "That's right, you didn't grow up around many fae, did you?" he said. "And now you've got three of your own..." Koushi nodded and waited for Takeda to continue. "Well, erm,  we're basically the same as wolves and humans and witches and everyone like that. Girls still get their periods, and those kinds of things. It's just the... reproductive gender is switched. The males are the ones who carry and give birth to the children in the magic realm, and females are the ones who sire them." He laughed nervously. "I wasn't very good at biology, so I really couldn't tell you too much besides the basics."

        Koushi smiled. "It's fine," he assured. "So... is Kiyoko yours?"

        "Ah, yes, she's mine," Takeda said, looking over at the girls while Seako indeed did their hair in a multitude of braids.

        "And is Uwaki...?"

        "Oh, no!" Takeda exclaimed quickly. "Not that I wouldn't be happy if she was, there's just many different traditions in the magic realm and over there you can have many children with many different sires. Because, ah, well, it's usually expected you don't keep many of them." Takeda's expression turned nostalgia. "We all know that werewolves will take in any child, magical or no, so it's costume to give at least some of your children to them. These days, barely any of our children make it to a human family. I... I was actually giving Kiyoko to Keishin when I met him. It's magical law that if you're spotted when making a drop, you're bound to the one who saw you for a year. It was a long time ago, but I decided to stay because I fell in love with him."

        The two men smiled at each other. _It_ was _a sweet story, and a lot of good information to know when it came to later talking to his own little fairies about it_ , Koushi thought. Then another thought hit him.

        "Takeda, doesn't Kiyoko have a wolf form?" Koushi asked in surprise. 

        "Ah, you noticed?" he questioned. "Kiyoko's only half fae. She's got the fairy body, but the werewolf magic, so..."

        Koushi nodded in understanding. "I don't understand much of this, but I'm glad you're my friend," he confessed. "I don't know _what_ we'd do without you."

        "Just call me whenever you have any questions," Takeda said, squeezing Koushi's hand. "I'm always happy to help!"

        "Burgers are done!" Daichi yelled. There were many boisterous and and excited shouts and yips and all the children came running over to get their food. Kiyoko ran up to Takeda, gripping his pants leg and smiling up at him happily.

        "Daddy, Daddy, look! Look what Saeako did to my hair!" she cheered. She had an impossible amount of braids sticking up everywhere and her smiled reached from ear to ear as Takeda smiled down at her endearingly.

        Koushi truly couldn't see anything but a beautiful little girl.

        "They're beautiful, sweetheart," Takeda said. "Did you tell her thank you?" Kiyoko nodded. "Good girl. Now, why don't you go get some food?"

        Kiyoko ran off to join the crowd of children overwhelming Daichi and Uwaki. Koushi and Takeda followed leisurely.

        "You've got a beautiful daughter, Takeda," Koushi stated.

        Takeda puffed out his chest and grinned with pride. "I know she is."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... Do you want me to delete the last chapter? *nervous laughing* Nobody else ever appreciates my editing (especially when it's anime) so I really won't be offended. It'll just open up another chapter, since I'll be doing 100 and that's probably just wasting one.


	12. Pretty in Pink

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Koushi would feel sorry for some of the things Daichi goes through- but he's laughing too hard to.

        Raising a little girl came with many challenges and other necessities. 

        The dresses, the millions types of different shoes, the _pink_. Everywhere. There was a point when Saeko was seven that everything had to be pink. If it wasn't pink, she didn't want it.

        During her younger days, Daichi had been subject to dress up, hair styling, and tea parties at every available opportunity. Well, Koushi had been as well. But when everyone looked back, their main memories would be of Daichi wearing a million hair clips and a tiara, sitting at a tiny table with Saeko and all her dolls, and wearing a frilly bib around his neck.

        The pictures were Koushi's fondest treasures, and Daichi's worst nightmares.

        As Seako was maturing, new challenges arose. The bras (it's taken a while to convince her to actually wear one), the periods (don't even get her dads started on it), and the makeup.

        She was twelve, turning thirteen, and wanted some makeup for her thirteen birthday.

        Two fathers, trying to buy for their eldest daughter. It couldn't be that hard, could it?

        No one had a clue what they were doing. 

        What the heck was foundation? What was the difference between lipstick and lipgloss? What was with all the different sizes of brushes?

        It took multiple store assistants to help them pick the right things. 

        The look on Saeko's face was priceless, in the end, and both Koushi and Daichi thought it was well worth it.

        But that had been a few months before. 

        Seako hadn't really touched the makeup since, not knowing how to put it on. 

        So she went up to Daichi one of his days off from work. He was laying on the couch, a car magazine held up above him as he read it. Seako bit her lip, reaching over the back of the couch to tap his shoulder. 

        Daichi let the magazine rest on his chest, grinning up at Seako. "What's up, buttercup?"

        "Dad," Seako whined, leaning against the couch. "I'm too old for that nickname!"

        Daichi chuckled, ruffling her hair. "Alright, alright." He rest his hands on his stomach. "So what'd you need, kiddo?"

        Saeko bit her lip again. "I... was wondering if I could use you to practice makeup on?"

        There were many things Daichi could have said at this point: go get one of her younger siblings, go asked Koushi, no, why, ect. Honestly, any of them could have saved him from many eons of embarrassment. It's what any normal dad would do.

        Daich wasn't a normal dad.

        "Sure."

        Saeko cheered, running back to her room and returning with her makeup kit, grinning as she held it up. 

        A few hours passed when there was a knock at the door. 

        "Daichi?! Can you get that?" Koushi yelled from down the hall. "My hands are full!"

        "Got it!" Daichi called back. Seako jumped out of his way as he got up. Daichi headed to the front door, peeking out of the eye hole and spotting Uwaki. He opened the door. "Hey, Uwaki-"

        The blond man snorted behind his hand, though he tried to hold it in. "Hey, uh, can I see the man of the house?"

        Daichi glared. "Shut up, Uwaki."

        Uwaki sniggered, having to lean against the door frame to keep himself standing. "Are you going to wear a dress next?"

        "That's it. I'm ignoring you."

        Daichi turned and shut the door behind him, ignoring the calls of Uwaki behind him without ever finding out what he wanted. 

        "Who was at the door-" Koushi asked as he came out of the laundry room. He let out a short laugh, hiding his mouth behind his hand as his eyes went wide. But then he only doubled over in laughter. 

        Daichi sent him a glare. " _What_ is so _funny_?" he demanded. 

        "Honey, have you looked in the mirror since Saeko got ahold of you?" Koushi asked. "You look- You _look_ -"

        He couldn't even get his sentence out, stumbling down the hall to their room. His laughter could still be heard through the door, though.

        Daichi huffed and turned into the bathroom. His eyes widened in horror at what was on his face. 

        It's not even that it was bad. Actually, it was rather well put on. However...

        "I look like a goddamn stripper!" Daichi shrieked, a new round of laughter sounding from down the hall. 

        "Lang-Language, Daichi!" Koushi shouted. 

        The next day, Daichi was standing with Seako holding her makeup bag in front of him in front of the house of one of Seako's friends, having talked the friend's mother into teaching Seako how to do makeup. Without the stripper feel to it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Daichi deserves a freakin' award for Best Dad for all the crap I have and will put him through. 
> 
> Here's the left over options, so far:  
> 1- I introduce witches. The rest is a surprise!  
> 4- Daichi gets a call from animal control in the middle of work saying that his "dog" has been running around off leash again. It's Uwaki.  
> 5- Shoyou and Kei meet Yamaguchi.


	13. Comfort

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Let’s just say… Tobio’s only been with the pack for a few months, but he’s already well integrated into it. He has all the duties anyone else does; chores, helping with dinner, comforting Hitoka. The only problem with the last one? He has no idea how.

        It was a simple matter.

        At fourteen, Yachi Hitoka was a young girl who was interested in boys and had boys who were interested in her. 

        The amount of brothers she had (not ot mention a slightly terrifying sister) usually had boys veering  _ away  _ from sending her notes. Leaving her to, of course, be the one to give notes. 

        There was this boy she liked in her class; he was tall, strong, and very smart. Everyone rather liked him, he was popular. 

        Hitoka gave him a letter and waited until the end of the day to hear his answer to her confession… 

        It didn’t go well. 

        Being rejected, Hitoka ran home and hid in the treehouse in the backyard without waiting for any of her brothers. 

        Shoyou and Tobio stood at the bottom, looking up the ladder. Tobio shifted on his feet nervously.

        “She’s crying, what do I do?”

        “Go comfort her.”

        “How do I do that?”

        “Start with hugs.”

        “With what?”

        Shoyou smacked his head, taking hold of a rung and climbing up into the tree house. “Hitoka,” he whined. “Bakayama doesn’t know what hugs are!”

        Immediately, Hitoka’s head shot up, her tears drying. “No way!” she exclaimed, shimmying down the ladder and almost knocking Shoyou down. 

        The petite blonde launched herself at Tobio and wrapped her arms around him.

        “Wah! What are you doing, woman?!” he shouted indignantly, eyes wide in fear.

        “I’m hugging you,” Hitoka said with a whispered smile. “See? It’s nice, isn’t it?”

        Tobio hummed, slowly reaching to wrap his arms around her small body.

        “I want a hug, too!” Shoyou exclaimed, jumping onto Tobio’s back and tightly wrapping his arms around both Tobio and Hitoka. 

        “You little- get off!” Tobio shouted, trying in vain to throw Shoyou off once he broke away from Hitoka. 

        “No way!” Shoyou exclaimed, a devilish grin spreading on his lips. “Dog-!”

        “Don’t do it!” Tobio begged.

        “-pile!”

        They came from everywhere, jumping on Shoyou and Tobio and knocking them to the ground. Hitoka ended up near the bottom with them, laughing with Shoyou while Tobio glared at the carrot top. 

        “Feel better?” Shoyou asked and Hitoka grinned widely. 

        “I have the best brothers ever,” she told them, wrapping her arms around Tobio and Shoyou with a content sigh.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! This chapter is also featured in my series "That happened..." so go check it out! It's a pretty good series, using prompts I've found off Pinterest. Until next time!


	14. How it All Began

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daichi's a mechanic. But what's Koushi do? Well, he's been doing the same thing since high school...

        Koushi and Daichi have known each other practically their entire lives, best friends since diapers and lovers since at least high school. It was no surprise that they’d chosen to go to the same school back then.

        The school they chose was a good school, prestigious with a fair reputation. Most notable of all its traits was that it often turned out two kinds of students; those who went profession in sports, and those who became famous in the idol industry. Be it acting, modeling, singing, or a mixture of the three. 

        Koushi and Daichi had chosen the school more for its sports section, both having a love for volleyball. 

        It was full of young idols, many times classes only having half of their members present. Some were on tour, some were working on movies or TV shows, some had special location shoots that could only be shot during the school day. 

        But there were also constantly agents and managers around, so sometimes those who hadn’t gone in being idols would be recruited and go out being one. 

        Which is what happened with Koushi. 

        His class decided that their “booth” would be a play, since the majority of his class were actors and actresses. Koushi was cast as the lead. 

        It didn’t matter he’d never acted before in his life. He was gorgeous, even back in high school. He may not have been the tallest boy, or even the strongest, but his smile made up for all of it. 

        It was a modern, genderbent take on a classic fairy tale:  _ Beauty and the Beast _ , in with Koushi played a male Beauty. 

        It was a huge success with the entire school, and many of the agents who’d attended as well. It wasn’t long after he received his first offer to act on the screen. 

        Koushi was skeptical, of course. It wasn’t something he’d ever thought of. 

        He sat in Daichi’s room after school, looking over the script he’d been given in case he chose to take the job.

        “The story sounds interesting,” he commented hesitantly, biting his lip as he looked over his offered part. “But I don’t know…”

        “Did you enjoy being up there?” Daichi asked, cringing a bit as something crashed and probably broke downstairs. “On the stage, I mean. Did you have fun?”

        Koushi nodded hesitantly, looking up at Daichi. “Well, yeah… Like when we do a successful play.”

        “Then I think you should do it,” Daichi told him, coming to sit by him on the bed. “If you really enjoyed it that much.”

        Koushi sighed, leaning his head on Daichi’s shoulder. “But I don’t wanna leave the team!” he exclaimed. “I like playing volleyball, too.”

        Daichi chuckled, entwining their hands and pressing a kiss to Koushi’s head. “No one’s telling you that you have to chose one or the other,” he stated. “It’ll probably take a bit to figure out a schedule, but I’m sure you’ll work it out. And I’ll be right here with you.”

        Koushi snuggled up against Daichi, humming quietly. 

        “I think I’m gonna do it,” he whispered.

        From his decision that night, Koushi was extremely busy. Less than a year later, it seemed everyone in Japan knew his name. 

        Movies, TV shows, modeling, singing; Koushi could do it all. His face was on everything. 

        He eventually stopped playing volleyball as much, even quit the team. He played with his friends on the days he had off, and that was enough for him. 

        His first spike in popularity faded a bit when he stopped modeling as much and singing completely, though he didn’t fade into just another face in the background. As he grew older, he was regarded as one of the best actors to ever grace anyone’s TV. 

        Koushi marrying Daichi spiked his popularity again, especially with those who wanted queer reputation. Whenever Koushi made an appearance (though it wasn’t often) with his kids, they were fan favorites. 

        Long nights were still a thing, and time away from his husband and children for different shoots were hard. 

        But walking into the house after a long week away was the best feeling. From the outside, all the lights were off. But as soon as Koushi stepped into the house, he noticed the lights in the kitchen on. 

        Koushi set his bags on the floor before making his way silently over to the doorway.

        Daichi sat at the table, holding a sleeping Hitoka with three mugs on the table. 

        “I’m home,” Koushi whispered. Daichi looked up, his eyes just shining. 

        “Welcome back,” he said. “Hot chocolate? Hitoka insisted on trying to stay up with some for you, but as you can see, she didn’t exactly make it.”

        Koushi chuckled, taking one of the mugs and leaning down to kiss Hikota’ forehead, and then Daichi’s lips.

        “I love you,” he said, a smile on his face. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Halloween, everyone! I've got inspiration again, so I'm going to try to kick out as much as I can before I lose it. I should be introducing Yamaguchi soon, and then some Halloween themed stories! Just tell me what you'd like to see in Halloween relatedness, and I'll try to make it happen. I love you all!


	15. Meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kei still bites people, he's the only one who's allowed to call Shoyou an idiot, and Yamaguchi's getting bullied.

        You’d think by the age of ten, Kei would have grown out of his biting stage.

        Which, okay, he had. Mostly. He still occasionally bit people, which was a problem. Though he really only did it when someone hurt those he loved.

        Hitoka, mainly, was the but of many bullies back in grade school (no one had yet learned about her many, many scary brothers and equally terrifying on her own sister). But there was also Shoyou, who Kei would be hard pressed to admit he cared about. But they were brothers, and that’s what brothers do.

        Both Kei and Shoyou were held after school one day, Shoyou being held because he had been messing around in class while Kei was for biting someone who called Shoyou an idiot.

        It hadn’t turned out pretty at all.

        Daichi had work until late into the night, and Koushi was a few cities away for a live interview. They stayed for an hour or two, then were released to go home.

        “You shouldn’t have bit him!” Shoyou reprimanded, bouncing up and down on his feet as he walked. “You could have turned him!”

        Kei shot him a glare, fixing his backpack and taking hold of Shoyou’s before the smaller boy could run into the road.

        “The only person allowed to call you an idiot is me,” Kei griped, moving to cross the street, leaving Shoyou behind.

        “I’m not an idiot!” he shouted, probably loud enough for the whole block to hear.

        “But you are,” Kei returned.

        “Am not.”

        “Are too.”

        “Am not.”

        “Are too.”

        “Am not, am not, am not!” Shoyou shouted, stomping his foot.

        “Hey, you should carry our backpacks for us. That might make your arms stronger.”

        Shoyou’s eyes widened as he watched a smaller boy get shoved to the ground by some bigger ones.

        Shoyou pulled on Kei’s arm to try to get him over there, but he just rolled his eyes and shook Shoyou off.

        “Kei!” he exclaimed as the tall blond kept walking. Shoyou ran to catch up. “We can’t just leave him!”

        “If you’re so concerned, then you go take care of it.”

        “Kei! I can’t do it alone! They’ll eat me alive! You can’t just make me do this alone!”

        “Watch me.”

        Shoyou whined, tugging on Kei’s arm and trying to drag him back, but Kei just kept walking. When he finally stopped, Shoyou ran into him and almost fell backwards from the force.

        Kei was smirking off to the side, an eyebrow raised. “Pathetic,” he snarked.

        Shoyou’s eyes widened and he looked over. They were by the park. The bullies were glaring at the two of them, the smaller boy wide eyed.

        “Honestly, pathetic,” Kei said, amused. He turned back to Shoyou. “Come on, Shoyou.”

        He began walking, Shoyou having to run to keep up. But he looked back over his shoulder. The bullies seemed disinterested in the boy now, and all walked off. The boy watched Shoyou and Kei walk away.

        Shoyou grinned and waved at him. Then Kei smacked his head and told him to watch where he was going.

        Shoyou grinned a wide, closed eye grin up at him. “We totally didn’t have to come over here. We were on the complete opposite street.”

        “Shut up, idiot.”

        “You saved him! You’re his hero, Kei!”

        “Only because you wouldn’t stop nagging me! Shut up already!”

        Shoyou giggled and jumped around his brother as Kei turned pink.

        A week later, the two saw the green haired boy again. “My- My name’s Yamaguchi Tadashi,” he squeaked, going into a bow. “I- I wanted to thank you for saving me!”

        Kei tilted his head. “Who?”

        Shoyou smacked his arm. “Kei!” he complained. “You know!”

        Kei tsked his tongue before turning away. “Well, whatever. You’re welcome.”

        Shoyou turned back to Yamaguchi. “Don’t worry about him,” he said. “He’s just shy around new people.”

        “No I’m not!”

        Shoyou giggled and held up the volleyball he was carrying. “Wanna join?”

        Yamaguchi nodded excitedly and Shoyou led him into the gym.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woo-hoo! Two in one day! Next up: Kiyoko is the scary story Queen, Shoyou loves them, and someone else REALLY doesn't.


	16. Scared Stiff

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It’s another Midnight Howl, and this year it lands on Halloween. The kids gather around the campfire, ready to tell their scary stories.

        “And they were never seen again,” Hitoka said in a spooky voice.

        Everyone else around the fire groaned.

        “That’s such a predictable story,” Yuu complained. “I wanna have nightmares from this stuff!”

        Hitoka huffed. “Well, I’d rather not, thank you very much,” she said, turning away and moving over to sit by Shouyou.

        “I vote Kiyoko goes next!” Ryuu exclaimed.

        “Come on, let one of the guys tell a story,” Kazuhito whined.

        “Girls don’t like the really creepy ones,” Hisahi agreed. “They’re not gonna be able to tell one right!”

        Chikara looked over and met Kei’s eyes. _Saeko_ , they both agreed mentally.

        “I will tell a story,” Kiyoko said, standing from her spot by Ryuu and making her way over to the storyteller’s log.

        She sat down gracefully before pushing her glasses up. Everyone held their breath in anticipation.

        “There were two children,” she began quietly, “who moved into a house with their father. He was away working most of the day, leaving the two children to themselves. But they weren’t alone. There was a woman in the house, one who cared for them and loved them so. They began calling her “Mother”. Mother would always set them out glasses of water at night, in case they got thirsty. And when they would sit in the living room, she would take a chair to the middle of the room to be closer to them.

        “Of course, their father never saw this woman. He warned the children against letting strange people in the house. He locked each door and every window and told them not to open them for anyone. But when he was gone, Mother was back again. The children played with her like they always did, and if they were not letting her in, they were not disobeying their father. They didn't talk about her with him again.”

        Kiyoko grinned then, leaning forward so her face was illuminated by the fire, shadows cast by the flickering flames.

        “It wasn’t until many years later, after they’d moved out of the home, the children read an old newspaper article: there was a woman who lived in their old house that had murdered her children by poisoning the drinks at their bedside, and hung herself from the middle of the living room.”

        Everyone stared at her, eyes wide, as she finished the story. She cleared her throat, standing and looking over to Ryuu.

        “Walk me back to the cabin?” she asked.

        Like a little excited puppy, Ryuu jumped up and took Kiyoko’s arm, escorting her down to the path to her family’s cabin. One by one, the others left as well.

        Shouyou looked over at Tobio, the dark haired boy still staring wide eyed into the dying flames. Shouyou scooted closer, poking Tobio’s cheek.

        The movement caused Tobio to jump- and then fall off the log completely. He glared up at Shouyou as the perpetrator giggled.

        “We should head back, too,” he said, standing and trying to balance on the log. “Before Pa starts to worry.”

        “Yeah, sure,” Tobio grumbled, sticking his hands in his pockets. “You’re gonna break your neck if you don’t get down.” Shouyou just giggled and laughed.

        Tobio followed along after the fairy, neither of them talking in the treck through the woods.

        Tobio tossed and turned that night, unable to sleep. When everyone was woken up the next morning to get ready to go back home, he felt like the living dead (which they knew some of, not the most pleasant people- er, creatures).

        Kei snorted when he saw Tobio all grey skinned with bloodshot eyes with dark bags under them.

        “The king looks a bit like hell this morning,” Kei snarked.

        Tobio didn’t even have the energy to retort. “I feel like it.”

        Still not satisfied (he never was until Tobio had been riled up), Kei’s face set into a sarcastic smirk. “Oh, did the scarwy stwories give baby Tobio nightmares?” he asked, successfully getting a glare from the dark haired wolf.

        “No,” he growled, turning away and pulling his bag over his shoulders. “Can’t have nightmares if you don’t sleep.”

        And that settled that argument. Until the middle of the ride home when Kei brought it back up; resulting in Shouyou teasing Tobio and Tobio elbowing Shouyou in the gut. And then a full out battle that not even Daichi could calm down until they got home. Not for a lack of trying.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do you even realize how hard I had to look to find a truly scary story?! At least ten different sites that promised to scare my pants off, and I'm still wearing them. This one isn't even doing what I wanted! Ugh.


	17. The Coven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shoyou, Hitoka, and Yuu disappear every Wednesday. Tobio would like to know where.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's the Halloween season- the best time to introduce witches, ins't it?

        Ever since Tobio had begun living in the Sawamura-Sugawara household, Shouyou had made it his duty to walk home with Tobio every day. If he was staying late because of detention (usually due to sleeping in class or not paying attention) or cleaning duty or after school activities, Shouyou would stay too just to walk home with Tobio.

        All except Wednesday.

        Shoyou was never in volleyball practice on Wednesday, he didn’t walk Tobio home, he was nowhere to be found. Neither were Yuu or Hitoka.

        It had gone on like that, for little under two years, and Tobio had really thought nothing of it. It was routine, just another turn of the clock. But lately he’d gotten tired of Kei’s nagging on the days they did walk together and the absence of anyone on the days Kei was with Tadashi.

        So he decided to do something about it.

        “Well, I’m off!” Shouyou called, waving his hand and turning to leave the group of friends.

        Tobio reached out and grabbed his wrist, halting him before he could go very far. Shouyou turned back and looked at Tobio with his wide, brown eyes.

        “Where are you going?” he asked.

        Shouyou laughed a closed eye smile, but didn’t shake off Tobio’s hand. “The same place I go every week, silly,” he stated.

        Tobio glowered. “I mean: _where is that_?” he emphasized.

        “You wanna come with me?” Shouyou asked, tilting his head.

        “You sure?”

        “There’s no rules against it. Come on!” Shouyou again turned and waved at their friends, bidding them goodbye, and took hold of Tobio’s hand and leading him to his destination.

        A couple blocks down, they met up with Yuu and Hitoka, neither whom were surprised by Tobio’s presence.

        The three fae talked amongst themselves, a basket with a cloth cover over the top swinging from Hitoka’s hands she she walked.

        “What’s with the basket?” Tobio asked, crinkling his eyebrows.

        “Oh, Papa sent this with me this morning,” she said with a smile. “He knows Shou-chan and Yuu would never remember to take it.”

        Both brothers let out indignant shrieks and complained for the rest of the walk, though their younger sister just laughed.

        They came into the residential area on the opposite side of town and turned down a street. The house they stopped in front of was white with dark blue trim. A few flickering lights made to look like stars were hung up around the edge.

        Hitoka stepped up and knocked on the door and it wasn’t moments later that the door opened.

        “Oh, hello kids,” the tall woman at the door said, stepping out past Hitoka. She turned back into the house. “Yui! There’s here!”

        “Coming!” a voice called from inside the house.

        “I’d love to stick around, but I just got an emergency call I need to take,” the woman explained to the kids. “I’ll see you guys later!”

        She pulled a miniature broom out of her pocket and spun it in her palm. As it started to grow, she tossed it into the street until it took the form of a dark green car.

        Another, slightly smaller, young woman burst out of the house and ran up to the previous. “You almost forgot your keys,” the second woman said, leaning up and kissing the first’s cheek. “Cars are sorta useless without them.”

        “Thanks,” the first said with a smile, returning the kiss. “You’d think we’d have figured out a way to do without them by now. Love you! I’ll see you at dinner!”

        “Love you!” the woman called, waving her hand excitedly. She turned back to the kids, her smile still wide. She put her hands on her hips as her eyes locked in on Tobio. “Well now! Who do we have here?”

        Tobio’s back went rigged and her stood as tall as he could. “K-Kageyama Tobio, ma’me!” he said, the words coming out more like a shout.

        “Tobio, this is our Aunt Yui,” Hitoka said with a small giggle, going over to the woman. “Aunt Yui, this is from Papa.”

        “Oh, this must be the ingredients I asked for!” Yui exclaimed, lifting the cover and walking into the house. Yuu and Hitoka followed her, Shouyou having to tug on Tobio’s hand to get him to comply.

        “Working on a new potion?” Yuu asked.

        Yui set the basket down on the kitchen counter separating the dining room and kitchen. The only thing separating the living room and the dining room was an arch.

        She nodded as she began pulling out different glass jars and separating them. “The one I was making for Eri’s grandmother is giving her a rash, so I’m working on a new one. And Kanako’s last potion did something nasty to her and now I’m having to figure out where she went wrong and reverse it. I never thought having an apprentice would be so hard!”

        After putting all the jars away, Yui grabbed a book from the living room shelf and gestured for the kids to follow her. “Alright, down to the basement!” she announced.

       “What’s exactly going on?” Tobio asked as Yuu excitedly bounced after Yui.

       “Since neither Dad nor Pa grew up around other fae, we have to learn how to control our magic somewhere,” Shouyou explained. “And until a few years ago, neither of them had any friends that were fae, so Aunt Yui is the closest we’ve got. Well, it might be better to learn from Takeda-san, but we’ve been coming here for years and they live a couple towns over, so this is just easier on everyone.”

        Tobio nodded at the explanation as they entered the open door just a few feet from the bottom of the stairs.

        Tobio’s eyes widened when he had to look up to see everyone else. They were all sitting at a floating table in floating chairs.

        Hinata’s wings grew out of his back and he flew up to the table, taking a seat between Yuu and Hitoka. Yui looked over the side of her chair and gave him a crinkled smile.

        “Won’t you join us?” she asked.

        “Aunt Yui, Tobio can’t fly,” Yuu injected. “He’s just a wolf.”

        “Oh, my apologies.”

        With a wave of her hand, a chair appeared behind Tobio and scooped him up, making the boy shriek from surprise, before bringing him to sit between the two girls.

        On top of the table was a beautifully laid teaset; white with pink and gold designs on each piece of delicate China. A plate of cookies and biscuits sat on one side of the table, while a plate of bread and jam sat on the other.

        “It seems all of your wings are working properly,” Yui said with a nod, looking over the book she had brought. She was silent for a moment, before tapping a paragraph and closing the book. “Please show me the spells we worked on last week. Conjuring lights and giving it shape.”

        Yuu went first. His light was blinding and bright, no one could tell if he’d been able to give it shape or not. Yui waved her hand and summoned another book, looking through it and reading about how Yuu might be able to control the brightness so it was easier to see.

        Shouyou’s light was like a flickering flame- it even looked like one, sending out little sparks from the summoned ball. A bit dim, and a couple of shades darker orange than his hair. With a snap of her fingers, a book appeared in her hand and she looked through it with Shouyou to see what might help him.

        When it Hitoka’s turn, the light she created was bright but not unpleasantly so, and took form of ribbons dancing around the room and everyone in it. The ribbons bundled together above the table and burst apart in a shimmering waterfall before fading away.

        Needless to say she needed no help.

        “All fairies have an affinity for something,” Yui explained, “but it’s better for them to learn a bit of everything, just in case.”

        Yuu had an affinity for animals; there wasn’t really an animal he couldn’t change into if he put his mind to it, and he could understand most of them. A lot of animals were a hassle trying to listen to, though many were intelligent enough he could hold full conversations with them. And Tobio thought he was just crazy. Who knew?

        Hitoka had an affinity for life. Healing mortal wounds would become possible with time, and her powers also granted her the ability to grow plants and such extremely quickly. And made her able to make others more fertile. Most male fae with the affinity usually had twins or triplets every pregnancy.

        Shouyou’s affinity was something Yui classified as “protection”. He could turn invisible, but he could also tap in extra speed, strength, and other abilities. If he really focused, or was in a dire enough situation, he could call on a magical weapon that was in his body.

        “I have a sword in my chest! Isn’t it cool?!” Shouyou exclaimed when Yui got to that part.

        Tobio smacked him on the head for the interruption.

        They stayed until late when Daichi came to pick them up.

        “That wasn’t so bad,” Yuu commented, climbing into the front seat before anyone else could call it.

        “Curiosity sated?” Shoyou teased, crawling into the car after Tobio.

        “Hmm.”

        Daichi laughed at his less than enthusiastic response. “Well, it’s good you got over to see my sister when you did,” Daichi told him. “Though I don’t suppose you met the whole coven. There’s about ten of them in Yui’s, well more like elven now with Amanai Kanoka, and they’re rarely in the same place at once. Yui was about ready to come by the house hunting for you if you didn’t go soon.”

        Tobio looked over at him in surprise. “Me?” he asked. “Why?”

        Daichi grinned at him through the mirror. “She didn’t get to meet you yet,” he explained. “And you’re family now.”

        Tobio felt a small swell of pride and happiness fill up inside him; just like every other time he was reminded he was part of their pack, just like every time Hajime came to see him.

        "Thanks."

        "Of course."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys, guys, I have to mention someone whose been just so amazing and just gives me the sweetest comments on every chapter and is just really supportive of this piece of work. Thank you so much, circuscrow!


	18. Ka Nahele

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A look into the relationship between Kenma and Hitoka.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so, so sorry! I feel like I messed up on their characterization soo much! Please forgive me.

 

        It started when Hitoka was ten.

        She’d been playing a game with her brothers on another Midnight Howl and ended up wandering a bit too far from the cabin.

        It was still daytime, so no worries of her getting scared of the dark or not being able to see where she was going. It didn’t the fact she was very, very much lost.

        She pulled herself over a fallen tree, chancing using her wings to aid her. Once she was at the top, she noticed a boy sitting against a tree, a game console in his hand.

        Hitoka let out a surprised squeak as she tumbled town to the ground, getting various scratches during her tumble.

        Hitoka groaned as she pulled herself up, gasping in horror at the state her wings were in. Shredded and torn and full of hole, they barely held any glow. When she pressed her hand over her heart, she could feel the magic in her draining…

        Suddenly the boy was jumping up and moving over to her. He placed a hand on her wing and she cried out at the stinging feeling it.

        “It hurts,” she whimpered, closing her eyes tightly. “It hurts, it hurts, it hurts.”

        The boy bit his lip as Hitoka clenched her eyes tightly. “This might hurt…” he whispered gently, taking hold of her hand tightly. “Be brave…”

        A pair of glowing wings formed out of his back as magic pulsed through his hand. Hitoka whimpered as she held back shout of pain, squeezing the boy’s hand in an almost bruising grip. The boy squeezed back, all his attention on saving Hitoka’s wings.

        Sweat was dripping down his forehead and he was becoming pale, his breaths coming in pants. “Can’t… hold on…” he muttered. “Need… help…”

        The pain was unbearable, but Hitoka forced herself out of the haze it had given her and looked up at the boy.

        With a deep, shuddering breath, she closed her eyes again and focused on her affinity; the magic at her core.

        She imagined it becoming a string, more of a ribbon, of gold. It flowed out of her and wrapped around her wings and gave aid to the boy healing her wings.

        The wings mended slowly, the tears going back together and the holes filling.

        When the spell was broken, Hitoka ended up collapsing onto the boy. Both were weak and weary from the amount of magic both had used- Hitoka especially from losing so much of her stores.

        It often took many adult fairies to heal torn wings, even just a small tear resulting in the major loss of magic from an individual. Wings were not part of the body- instead made of the spirit or soul of the fae. Torns wings drained magic instead of blood, but just like blood loss, if a fae lost enough magic they’d die.

        Hence there being no time to run and find an adult fae. It was a miracle they’d completely healed Hitoka’s wings.

        “S-Sorry,” the girl whimpered as she was helped to sit against the large log.

        “No, it’s fine,” the boy said, his breath still labored. He redrew his wings into his body and in doing so regained a bit of color. “What were you doing out here? All alone?”

        “I got lost,” Hitoka told him, bringing her knees to her chest. With the healing magic seeping back through her body, her cuts were healing remarkably fast now.

        The boy eyed her body with his golden, cat like eyes. “Healing core?” he asked.

        Hitoka nodded, knowing what it meant. “We normally call them affinities, in my family,” she said. She looked over at the boy now. “Do you have a healing affinity too?”

        The boy shook his head, pulling a small game console out of his jacket pocket, much like the one he’s been playing on the other side of the clearing, though that one was left on the ground.

        “Mind core,” he said, tapping away at the buttons expertly. “I can sense paths to different places, different people, see into your head, I notice just about everything. Oh, and I can use suggestions. Haven’t actually learned how to do that yet… how bothersome.”

        Hitoka unconsciously covered her head when the boy mentioned being able to look into her mind. He smirked at her a bit before going blank faced and back to his game.

        “Suggestions?” Hitoka asked.

        “It’s a bit like hypnotism,” he explained. “But not fully… I can give you a suggestion, but if it’s totally unreasonable, you won’t accept it. And after the suggestion is made, you just continue with you life. Say your favorite color is green, but I suggest to you it’s pink. You might really like pink for a while, then grow tired of it, and go back to liking green. The suggestion wasn’t broken, you just continued on.”

        Hitoka nodded, her eyes wide. None of the books Aunt Yui had on fairies went into any depth on the different affinities, or cores, fae could have. Besides the common ones, and naming some of the lesser ones. Hitoka hadn’t ever heard of the one the boy had, though.

        “Then how’d you help heal my wings?” Hitoka tilted her head to the side, curious about this strange boy.

        “I learned how to do a bit of healing magic from a friend of my father’s,” he continued in a disinterested manner. “It’s not much, but I’m glad it could help.”

 _You don’t seem very glad_ , Hitoka pouted.

        “So I’ve been told.”

        Hitoka squeaked and almost fell over, and would have if Kenma hadn’t held her upright again. He didn’t look at her as he reached out a hand to steady her!

        Hitoka squeaked out her thanks while smoothing down her white tee-shirt. “I- I’m Yachi Hitoka,” she said, holding out her hand.

        The boy merely looked at it but didn’t take it.

        “Kozume Kenma.”

        He didn’t say anything else, and the introduction left much to be desired.

        Hitoka let out a sigh, getting onto her knees. “Kozume-kun-”

        “Kenma,” he interrupted, only flicking his eyes at her for a moment before going back to his game. “Call me Kenma.”

        “Kenma-kun.” Hitoka tried again, and when he only flinched a bit, continued on. “Can you show me the way back if you can see paths?”

        “Can’t if I don’t know where you’re supposed to be,” he stated. There was a crash coming from the game.

        “Can you show me the way to my family then?” she asked.

        “Don’t know what any of them look like.”

        Hitoka left out a defeated sigh and leaned against the log for support.

        Then she looked back over at Kenma, a determined look on her features. “What if I tell you? Would that work?”

        Kenma shrugged. “Maybe,” he said, sliding the game back into his pocket. “It’ll have to be something really specific, and not really something that can apply to anyone else.”

        Hitoka tapped her chin. What could she say about any number of her family members that would lead her back to them?

        Then she grinned and thumped her fist into her palm. “Orange!” she exclaimed, turning her bright eyes in Kenma’s direction. “Shoyou has orange hair! Not many people on this continent have that shade of hair.”

        Kenma’s eyes widened a bit but nodded. He closed his eyes, letting his power stretch out and search for orange.

        Once he found it, he jumped to his feet and took Hitoka’s hand, pulling her along after him. As they passed his fallen game, Hitoka reached down and scooped it up.

        “Wait, wait, wait!” she exclaimed, barely able to keep up with his much longer legs. “Did you find him?”

        “Probably,” he said. “Come on.”

        Hitoka allowed herself to be dragged along after Kenma, asking random questions. Sometimes getting answers, and when she did they were very short.

        They stopped at a path, well worn from many years of wolves running through it. Kenma closed his eyes to get his bearings again, but Hitoka squealed in excitement.

        She let go of Kenma’s hand and bounded a few steps away. “I know where we are now!” she exclaimed. Hitoka turned back to Kenma and waved. “Thanks for showing me the way!”

        Kenma nodded and turned to walk back through the forest. “Right. Well, see you.”

        “Wait!” Hitoka called him back, blushing brightly. “If I can call you Kenma, you can call me Hitoka!”

        Kenma grinned at her slyly while she fidgeted in place. “Alright then. Hitoka-chan.”

        Hitoka squeaked, turning and running down the path. Just before she got out of sight, she turned and waved to Kenma, not watching as he gave a small wave back.

        It wasn’t until they got home the next day and Hitoka was unpacking all her clothes that she noticed she still had Kenma’s game with her.

        It was many months later that Hitoka went to Seako and asked the older girl to help her pay for a game.

        It was almost a year from that first meeting that Hitoka met Kenma again. And from that moment, it was common to meet in that little clearing midway between both of their cabins. Seako was the only one who knew; about the meetings and Hitoka’s expertise in gaming.

        Hitoka was thirteen, Kenma fifteen, when they first kissed.

        “Just an experiment,” they’d both later claim.

        Nothing with attachments. Though they’d often share kisses or cuddles while battling each other on their consoles (the one which Hitoka had never returned. She’d thought about it, but then she got attached) or hold hands as they explored the forest. Hitoka knew she’d never get lost with Kenma at her side.

        It wasn’t just about the gaming or the kinda-but-not-really-relationship the two had going on, but Kenma, as a more experienced fae, would teach Hitoka how to use her magic and even strengthen her core.

        Which was why, by the time she was fourteen, she was much better than either of her brothers at magic.

        There was only a day left until the annual Midnight Howl, and fifteen year old Hitoka was giddy with excitement. Seako and Akiteru were even back from their respective universities for this one.

        But Hitoka was more excited about seeing Kenma again.

        Seako chuckled from the doorway as she watched Hitoka kick her feet back and forth while she played the game Kenma had let her borrow.

        “So, how’s the boyfriend?” Seako teased, making Hitoka turn a vibrant shade of red.

        “He’s not my boyfriend!” Hitoka exclaimed in horror, burying her face under her pillows.

        Seako stepped into the room, sitting down by Hitoka on the bed and rubbing the younger girl’s back. “You’d better pick him up then before another girl comes along and steals his fancy,” Seako told her.

        The two talked for a bit afterwards, but the question was nagging at the back of Hitoka’s mind. She had a hard time sleeping that night because of it.

        As soon as she’d been released from the family van, she took off towards the forest.

        “Hitoka!” Koushi exclaimed. “Be _careful_!”

        “I will!” she claimed cheerfully, waving back at him before disappearing into the tree. By then, she knew the path to the clearing by heart.

        Kenma was sitting against his usual tree, immersed in his game.

        Hitoka yelped as she tripped and fell into the clearing in her rush, causing Kenma to look up. He tilted his head.

        “Are you alright?” he asked.

        Hitoka blushed and stammered as she pulled herself to her feet. “Fine, fine!” she exclaimed, brushing off her skirt. Then she froze and started worrying the hem and refused to look at Kenma.

        He was back to looking at his game, but he quirked an eyebrow. “What’ve you got to say?” he questioned.

        “How did you-”

        “Read your mind.”

        “Oh. Right.” Hitoka bit her lip, her eyes darting over to Kenma before quickly looking away. “Erm, Kenma-kun, do you have a girl you like?”

        Kenma looked up, though he didn’t move the game from out of in front of his face. “Well, obviously,” he claimed. He turned back to his game, causing an internal panic within Hitoka.

_What?! Since when?! Who?!_

        Kenma patted the spot next to him absently and Hitoka cautiously made her way over to him. She sat down, leaving space in between them, and pulled her knees to her chest.

        “It’s you, obviously,” Kenma muttered, not bothering to look over at Hitoka. But when she looked over at him in awe, she could see a glow on his cheeks that wasn’t from his game.

        With a content hum, she scooted closer and rested her head on his shoulder.

        “Does that mean you’ll be my boyfriend?” she asked quietly.

        “Okay,” he replied.

        Hitoka closed her eyes happily, letting the warm feeling in her heart expand over her.

        “Is it me or one of your ‘suggestions’ that’s making me want to kiss you?”

        “Er… both?”

        Hitoka smiled at Kenma, pressing her lips to his cheek. Only to have her jumping away from Kenma a few seconds later in horror.

        “What am I going to tell my brothers?!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So… I’m talking to my mom about this girl in my Creative Writing class who I get along with. She’s insanely pretty, and I’m practically in love with her hair. It’s super curly and really red, as in think Weasley red. Then my dad comes in and says “You’re curly” and I just kinda gaped for a minute.  
> True, I have kinda curly hair too. But I was gonna say “I’m as straight as a line” when I realized oh wait. That’s not completely true.
> 
> I just have one last thing to say before I go. NaNoWriMo will be starting up soon, and the book I will be doing will be "The Daughters of Eden", a dystonian, genderbent fanfic for Haikyuu. I'll probably be using the same ships as in this, but I might also be persuaded to use others. I'll be publishing it on here if anyone is interested, though not until November starts.
> 
> And as always, thanks for reading!


	19. Oh, the Humanity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seven, no, eight- Nine? Too many siblings, and Chikara is the only human. It’s a problem.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some Chikara centric love to go around. Might not be what you were looking for, but it's cute.

        So, usually Chikara considered himself fairly good at handling his life. It was a good balance of home life and work. Hell, he even had a date after work today. He was doing pretty good for himself!

        A man of mid-twenties, was pretty successful. His life wasn’t overly stressful. 

        And since he had a break from cases for the day, he decided he had some time to think about things. 

        It hadn’t always been as peaceful for Chikara. Of course, his life wasn’t exactly  _ peaceful _ . Being an officer of the law (and in the MPD, Magical Police Department, didn’t help much either) kinda did that to you.

        Back when he’d been a kid, he was the only “normal” one of the whole bunch, which often prompted him to feel different from the rest. Like  _ he  _ was the outsider. 

        Not every family at the Midnight Howls (God, how long had it been since he’d gone to one?) had human children in them, and it’d been rough trying to fit in with the others. Back in the human world, when everyone  _ else  _ had to hide who they were… it’d given Chikara a small sense of malious pride that he could be who he was without fault.

        He remembered, back in high school, where he’d become resentful of who he was. His parents, his siblings. They were all “special”. At one point he’d tried to learn magic from his Aunt Yui, but he just didn’t have a talent for it. He’d been so hateful to them…

        It had never helped that he always had to be the “adult” in their group outings. How did anyone expect  _ him _ , the one  _ without  _ any powers, to control a million others who  _ did _ ?

        But it was all over now. 

        Being human had perks, even in the magical world. Except when a vampire was trying to take a bite out of you, but there was a reason Chikara wore a silver cross under his white button up.

        “Yo, big bro!”

        Chikara looked up from his coffee to see Shouyou standing in the doorway, a box in one hand and the twins attached to each of his legs. 

        “What are you doing here?” Chikara questioned with a sigh, even though he smiled at his nephews. “I’m in the middle of work.”

        Shouyou laughed, placing the box on Chikara’s desk and opening it. “I thought you could do with a snack,” he claimed. Chikara rolled his eyes at the box of donuts.

        “Shouyou, it’s not actually an accurate stereotype that all policemen love donuts.”

        Shouyou chuckled as Takuya and Makoto attached themselves to Chikara’s legs. He took a donut out of the box. 

        “The kids wanted to see their Uncle Chi,” he stated. “So I had to bring ‘em. Can’t deny these two anything.”

        “How many times have I told you not to call me that?” Chikara heaved an over dramatic sigh as he pulled the two growing toddlers onto his lap. “Kids are way to much work,” he complained dramatically, tickling their stomachs. “I think I’ll stay a non-father forever.”

        Shouyou laughed. “I think you’ll change your mind one of these days,” he claimed. 

        A pretty young lady stepped into the office space. Her brown hair was pulled up into a ponytail and she wore a neat suit, minus the jacket which was slung over her arm. She grinned at Shouyou offering him a small bow in greeting. 

        “Ready to go, Ennoshita-kun?” she asked. Chikara nodded, picking up his coat. 

        “Oh, you’re going on a date!” Shouyou exclaimed, picking up his sons. “Sorry for stopping by unannounced. Treat her right, Chikara! Have a nice night.”

        Shouyou grinned and the boys did to before they all exited the office. Chikara smiled at the young woman, offering his arm. She gladly took it and they walked out of the office. 

        “One of your brothers?” she asked as he opened the car door for her. Chikara nodded. 

        “Shouyou,” he explained, tempting her to grin.

        “Ah. That explains it.”

        Chikara chuckled as he got behind the wheel. 

        Yes, it was a good life. Full of balance. Full of pea- well, semi-peace. But most of all, full of love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> English dub WHAT?! Guys, guys, they're DUBBING Haikyuu and I don't know how to feel about it! It sounds so weeeeiiirrrdddd! Geck!
> 
> Anyway, in other news, Daughters of Eden is out! If you'd like to check it out, here is the link.   
> http://archiveofourown.org/works/12602692/chapters/28706772  
> Fun time, fun times. If you'd like to request ships (on there), feel free to do so. It'll basically be a shipping frenzy.


	20. Big Brothers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone finds out about Hitoka and Kenma’s relationship- it doesn’t go as expected.

        Training camps were weren’t, actually, Hitoka’s favorite thing in the world. She already lived with over half of the volleyball team and had to deal with them at home, but on top of that out of state training camps meant she had to stick close or else risk getting lost.

        This one was a bit different, though. 

        They were going to Tokyo, and Kenma would be there. 

        Obviously, the team had met the players of the Nekoma team before, because of Golden Week. But that had been before Hitoka had started dating Kenma.

        Now she was fidgety and unable to sit still in her seat next to Kiyoko on the bus ride.

        Kiyoko gave her yet another look, which Hitoka just responded to with a big smiled, folding her hands in her lap.

        Just another five minutes later, the bus pulled to a stop in front of Nekoma High. Hitoka was one of the first off.

        She bounced on the balls of her feet in the line up, close to a Shouyou level of uncontainable excitement seeping out of her.

        After their greeting to the Nekoma team and team faculty, Hitoka couldn’t contain it anymore. 

        “Kenma!” she exclaimed, running over and jumping into his arms. 

        Kenma’s eyes widened at the approaching girl and only barely caught her, stumbling a couple steps back to avoid both falling to the concrete.

        With a big smile, Hitoka placed a sweet kiss on his lips, causing both to go bright red as soon as she’d backed away from him. 

        Someone whistled, another was slowly clapping. Off to the side, one of Kenma’s dads was crying and saying “I’m so proud of him, I never thought he’d get a girlfriend.”

        Kuroo, his other dad, patted Yaku on the shoulder. “Ye of little faith, honey.”

        And that just began a rollercoaster of a training camp. 

        Tobio continuously glared at Kenma’s head, only to feign innocence whenever Kenma looked his way.

        Asahi constantly stuck closer to Hitoka that before, barely giving her a moment alone with Kenma. Though… she didn’t actually notice until day four. He was really clever about it.

        Yuu actually drilled Kenma for three hours straight (utterly exhausting Kenma in the process) to see if he’d be good enough for his little sister. In the end, Yuu approved.

        Kei was honestly the most direct- he karate chopped the top of Kenma’s head one day while they were cleaning up, raised an eyebrow, and said “You hurt her and I’ll rip your throat out.”

        Chikara was terrifying enough in his silence. He would watch Kenma and give him a grin whenever Kenma caught him in the act. Hitoka wished it meant:  _ Good luck _ instead of something more along the lines of  _ You’re dead _ .

        Shouyou was… well, he had this  _ look _ . Kenma had seen it often enough. Usually only when someone was underestimating him because of his height. 

        It was honestly the thing of Kenma’s nightmares. 

        “We may be friends, Kenma, but don’t hurt my sister,” Shouyou told him while he gave his  _ look _ . The threat of Kenma’s death if he did went unsaid.

        But it wasn’t until Ryuu that things went, well,  _ off _ .

        “Listen here, Kozume,” Ryuu said, his face taking on one of his ugly scowls. “You-”

        “Oi, what about  _ your  _ sister, Tanaka?!” The shout came from Taketora on the other side of the gym. He stalked over to Ryuu and poked him roughly in the chest. “Do you know  _ anything  _ about fairy biology?”

        Ryuu glared, pulling himself up to his full height. “Obviously I do,” he griped. 

        Taketora lifted an eyebrow skeptically. “If she gets him pregnant,” he threatened before stalking away.

        Hitoka and Kenma turned to look at each other, both of their faces paling. Obviously, something like that would come up. They’d just forgotten about it.

        It was natural- big brothers being protective of their little sisters and getting on her boyfriend’s case. Because girls were naturally considered delicate. But… well, with fairies, it was the males who had the babies. And therefore  _ they  _ who carried the weight, they were the ones who had to worry about losing their chastity.

        Which led to Hitoka getting the same treatment Kenma did for the rest of the week. 

        The end of the week couldn’t get there fast enough for them. Both were mentally exhausted by their brothers, and their partner’s brothers.

        “Your siblings scare me,” Hitoka whimpered as she leaned against the brick wall at the back of the school. She and Kenma had finally managed to get a moment alone before she left.

        “My siblings?” Kenma asked, his eyes going wide. “ _ Your _ siblings are terrifying.”

        Hitoka was about to make a rebuttle, but only managed a giggle. A few seconds later, she was laughing with no end in sight. Kenma joined her. 

        “It’s- It’s just so  _ ridiculous _ ,” Hitoka claimed through her laughter, wiping away the tears that had formed. “Arguing over whose brothers are worse. But at least we know they love us, don’t we?”

        Kenma nodded in agreement, looking up to the sky. “They’re overprotective little shits is what they are,” he said with a snort.

        Hitoka giggled, closing her eyes so she could rub the last of her tears away. Kenma leaned down and pressed his lips to her cheek, making her turn red.

        “I- I should probably go,” Hitoka said, looking down to hide her embarrassment as she toed the rocks at her feet. 

        Kenma reached over and grabbed her hand. “Yeah.”

        The two walked back to the bus, hand in hand, before saying their quiet goodbyes. Everyone else back back on good terms again and was saying their own farewells. 

        Hitoka waited by the doors as the team boarded the bus before slipping in last. Most everyone was talking amongst themselves when she got on. 

        She looked up and down the aisle, her hands on her hips. “Alright, listen up!” she shouted, causing everyone to look at her. Her cheeks were going pink, but she ignored the fact and went on. “Okay, you’ve all had your fun picking on my boyfriend, but now it’s time to be nice. Kenma’s a good person, and I’d rather not have you all chasing him off because you’re being mean.”

        Many shook as Hitoka took her seat next to Kiyoko. 

        While she may not have been  _ the  _ scariest member of the pack, Hitoka was terrifying in her own right. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this didn't go exactly how I wanted it, and I feel like I didn't do the best job with their characters. But I hope you enjoyed anyway! (I'm still freaking out about the english dub for this) Anyway! The next chapter should either be some Ryuu/Kiyoko or some Shouyou/Tobio. I'll see you then!


	21. Looks Like a Lady

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kiyoko is getting some trouble, but you don’t mess with Ryuu’s girl.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I must warn you of: a bit of cussing (I personally don't like it, but not less fit), and some transphobic slurs.

 

        Kiyoko was one of the most beautiful creatures to walk to Earth. It was a matter of fact, and Ryuu would fight anyone who said differently. 

        He’d always thought she was beautiful, even if some of their first interactions weren’t quite the best. (When they were still kids, right after Kiyoko had made the decision to be a girl, Ryuu had said she smelled like a boy, which ended up making her cry)

        As they grew older, the two grew closer and Kiyoko grew even more beautiful. After hitting puberty, though, she stopped talking quite as much because she was ashamed of her voice. 

        Even after everything she went through to bring her octaves back up, she didn’t speak quite as much as she used to. 

        Ryuu was almost a second year, Kiyoko almost a third, when he finally managed to ask her out. 

        It was the break after that when our story takes place.

        Ryuu had managed to earn up some money over the beginning of the break by helping old people around their houses and took Kiyoko out on a date. 

        It wasn’t anything fancy- you can’t earn  _ that  _ kind of money in less than a week- but it was nice just the same. Ryuu bought her some of her favorite flowers and took her to a cute little restaurant.

        It had a cozy atmosphere with an excellent view from the booth they got by the window. The food was delicious, and both were feeling happy by the time they’d finished eating.

        But then… Kiyoko had to use the restroom. And as Shouyou knows, the bathroom is where dangerous people are.

        In fae culture, it is the males who give birth to the children. And Kiyoko had been born with a male body. But, well, it’s through the part males alone have that they’re impregnated. Which meant Kiyoko, who one day hoped for children of her own, couldn’t be rid of it.

        And meant she still had to use the toilet like a man.

        She went, did her business. Didn’t bother anyone in doing so. 

        But as she was washing her hands, another girl in the bathroom rammed into her harshly, almost making her fall over. 

        Kiyoko stared at her wide eyed while the girl just sneered. 

        “Freak.”

        And then she was left in the bathroom, her knees shaking so much she had to grip onto the sink to prevent herself from falling over.

        It took a few minutes before Kiyoko could move. She hastily made her way out of the bathroom and towards the table where Ryuu sat. He turned as he heard her approach. He looked some kind of relieved when he saw her, but then his face fell once he saw her expression.

        He immediately jumped up and rushed to Kiyoko’s side. 

        “What is it?” he asked quietly, taking her hands. She just shook her head. 

        “Let’s just go,” she murmured quietly.

        “Yeah, just get out of here,  _ freak _ ,” the girl from before sneered, standing behind Kiyoko. “Does your little boyfriend know you aren’t a real girl?” She snorted. “But I guess you aren’t a real man either, with how much of a pussy you are.”

        The girl smirked and folded her arms, just like she’d won something to be proud of.

        Instead, all she’d succeeded in doing was making Ryuu  _ mad _ . He glowered at the girl, bringing Kiyoko close to his side. 

        “Listen here, you little bitch,” Ryuu growled. “My lady Kiyoko here? She’s got more class, is more of a lady, than you could  _ ever  _ be. You go around acting like that, no one’s going to think you’re pretty. Maybe if you ate some of that makeup covering your face, you’d be pretty on the inside too.”

        Ryuu tossed the money they owed to the cashier before dragging Kiyok out onto the street. He kept a tight hold on her hand for several blocks, only loosening it a bit when he slowed his pace down.

        Kiyoko stopped and tugged on Ryuu’s hand to stop him. 

        He turned back to her, giving her a curious look. Kiyoko looked at the ground, unable to meet Ryuu’s eyes.

        “You shouldn’t talk to girls like that,” she muttered.

        Ryuu’s face scrunched up in a glare, but then he sighed and came closer to Kiyoko, holding her tightly in his arms. 

        “I’m not just gonna stand by and watch anyone- girl or not- say those kinds of things about you,” he stated. “It wouldn’t matter if we were together or not. It’s your choice, and why you’ve chosen it doesn’t matter.” He pulled away, cupping her very red cheeks. “You are beautiful. My honest to God beautiful baby girl. You’re ten times the woman she is.”

        Kiyoko reached up and grabbed onto one of Ryuu’s hands. “Ryuu…”

        Ryuu smirked, resting his forehead against hers. “No complaining,” he stated. “You ain’t changing my mind for nothing.”

        Kiyoko smiled a bit at that and wrapped her arms around Ryuu.

        “God, I love you,” she said into his shoulder. 

        Ryuu grinned widely, holding her tight and spinning her around. “Love you too,” he told her. “It’s never been anyone else.”


	22. Only Seventeen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shouyou's having a baby! It's not as pleasant as it sounds.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, so, there ARE mentions of sex, but I'm, like, way to young to know about any of that shit. (Okay, maybe not way too young, but I still don't know a thing, sooo...) Anyway, it's literally only mentions. If someone wants to write the scene, go right ahead. I'd love you to. Enjoy the show!

        It was a rare thing to get a moment alone in Shouyou’s house. 

        But, miraculously, it had happened. Koushi was doing an away shoot in the Bahamas, and Daichi had accompanied Kei to a modeling shoot a couple cities over. Hitoka was with Kenma’s family for the weekend in Tokyo. Everyone else was away at their respective universities or jobs.

        Leaving Shouyou and Tobio. Completely. Alone. 

        It wasn’t really the first time. Both were considered responsible- well, responsible enough to not burn the house down while the adults were away. 

        But apparently not responsible enough to not get up to mischief and doing things they probably shouldn’t have. 

        It wasn’t the first time they’d done  _ that _ , either. Not that anyone else knew that. 

        Three weeks later, Shouyou just couldn’t stay awake for anything in his classes. Of course, it wasn’t that unusual for him. But almost falling asleep in practice certainly was. 

        “Maybe you should go home,” Yamaguchi suggested after Shouyou tripped over nothing for the fifth time in ten minutes. 

        Shouyou groaned. “But I don’t waaaannnaaaa,” he complained. “We’ve got matches coming up, and I’ve gotta practice.”

        Kei tsked, picking Shouyou off the floor. “You’ll be no help if you’re feeling like shit,” he stated. Kei looked over to Yamaguchi. “Can you grab his bag?” 

        Yamaguchi nodded and scampered off, returning only a couple minutes later with the bag. Kei slipped it over his shoulder before putting a complaining Shouyou on his back. 

        “Oi, King, I’m taking your boyfriend back home,” Kei called across the gym. 

        Kageyama looked up and nodded, before his attention was pulled away by the calls of “Captain! Captain!” coming from a couple second years. 

        Realizing that Kei wasn’t going to put him down anytime soon, Shouyou stopped struggling and leaned his forehead on the back of Kei’s neck. It felt good against Shouyou’s heated skin.

        Kei huffed, adjusting Shouyou on him. “You smell like shit.”

        “I feel like shit,” Shouyou grumbled. “Lea’me alone.” Bile began rising his throat and he buried his face in his shoulder. “I feel like I’m gonna be sick.”

        Kei tsked again. “Don’t you dare get sick on me, midget,” he warned. 

        “I’m not a midget!” Shouyou exclaimed, trying to straighten his spine. 

        “Hey, quit moving or you’re going to make us both fall over, idiot!” Kei shouted, effectively making Shouyou calm down. The turning of his stomach didn’t help too much either. 

        After arriving at home, Kei placed Shouyou on the couch and tossed a blanket in his direction with instructions not to move. “I’ll go make some tea.”

        Shouyou snuggled up in the blanket and, if he’d been left alone much longer, probably would have gone to sleep. As it was, Kei shook him awake and pushed a cup of cinnamon and honey tea into his hands. 

        “Drink it,” he ordered before leaving the room again. 

        Shouyou grinned at the tea cup, taking a big whiff of it. It smelled delicious- like most things Kei made. It was one of the things he’d gotten from Koushi. Shouyou brought the cup to his lips and blew before taking a tentative sip.

        And almost spat it back out. 

        Shouyou managed to swallow, but wasn’t sure he’d be able to do it again. He placed the cup on the table in front of the couch and curled back into a ball. Kei came back in with a thermometer. He held it out to Shouyou.

        “Open up,” Kei commanded. Shouyou usually would have fought Kei tooth and nail for ordering him around, but Shouyou was just so out of it, he didn’t really give a crap one way or the other on the matter.

        Shouyou took the thermometer and allowed Kei to take it back once it had beeped. 

        Kei frowned at the thermometer. “If you were feeling like this much crap, you should have stayed home today.” He cleaned the end of the thermometer and gave Shouyou a look. “Get up to bed, idiot. Maybe you won’t feel so shitty tomorrow if you get some sleep.”

        Shouyou had to time to react to Kei’s words as the taller of the two walked out of the room while pulling his phone out of his pocket. 

        With a grumble, Shouyou wrapped the blanket tightly around his shoulders and went upstairs. When he walked back the kitchen, he heard Kei talking to Koushi on the phone. 

        Once Shouyou got up to his room, he didn’t even change out of his clothes before falling into his bed and was snoring within seconds of his head hitting the pillow. 

        The next morning, he slept right through his alarm, which was rare in and of itself because he liked getting up earlier than the alarm so he could get extra practice in with Tobio. 

        There was only ten minutes until they had to be at the school, and no one had seen Shouyou yet. Hitoka went over to his room (everyone now having their own rooms after most of their siblings moved out) and knocked on the door. No answer. 

        She opened it and gasped. “Pa! Dad!” she shrieked, causing the two to dash to Shouyou’s room. 

        Koushi was the first to reach Shouyou and placed a hand on his forehead. He slowly blinked open his eyes at the cool contact.

        “Pa?” he said, his voice cracking. 

        “He’s very feverish,” Koushi said, turning to Daichi. “He’s definitely not going to school today. Can you drive the others to school?”

        Daichi nodded, giving Koushi a quick and a kiss to his forehead. Then he leaned over and rustled Shouyou’s hair. “Get better, kiddo,” he said, earning him a small smile from Shouyou. 

        After everyone left for school, Koushi and Shouyou were left alone. Koushi pampered Shouyou all day, though the boy slept through most of it. 

        He’d never really had any serious illnesses, because he’d always gotten well fairly quickly. Everyone thought he’d be back to school by the next day. But, while the fever broke by nightfall, the nausea, stomach cramps, and drowsiness persisted for the next couple of weeks. 

        Koushi and Daichi had both taken turns taking time off work to look after him, but Koushi got increasingly worried as time went on. 

        “I’m worried about him,” Koushi admitted to Takeda as he made some soup that would, hopefully, not send Shouyou running for the bathroom. “I’m thinking I may have to take him to the hospital.”

        Takeda hummed as he helped Koushi. “How long has this been going on?” he asked. 

        Koushi set down the spoon he’d been using to stir and tapped his chin. “Hmm, little more than a month now?” he offered. “Shouyou told me he’d been feeling a bit ill even before his fever, but didn’t think anything of it.”

        Takeda focused on the work at hand. “Is Hinata, perhaps… you know, active?” he asked. 

        Koushi knit his eyebrows. “He plays volleyball nonstop-” He broke off at the deadpan look Takeda was giving him. Koushi’s eyes widened. “O-Oh. Well, erm, yes. It’s not necessarily something we talk about a lot, but he has talked to both Daichi and I about it.”

        There was silence for a few moments before some pieces clicked together. He reached up and placed a hand on the back of his neck, rubbing it as he turned to Takeda. 

        “You don’t think he’s…?” he asked. 

        Takeda quickly waved his hands about. “N-No!” he exclaimed. “I’m not saying anything like that! It’s just a possibility, though. I mean, it’s different for everyone, obviously, but, well…”

        Koushi sighed as Takeda trailed off. Takeda reached out and placed a hand on Koushi’s shoulder. 

        “There’s a doctor I know,” he explained. “His specialty is working with fairies and transgender, though he sees all kinds of patients. We could take Shouyou to see him, and then we’d know for sure.”

        Koushi nodded, ladling the soup into a bowl. “After lunch,” he stated. 

        Thankfully, Shouyou kept the soup down, though he grumbled the entire ride to the small clinic Takeda was taking them to. 

        The office was clean, all white walls and semi-comfortable chairs and that sterile smell. It made Shouyou’s stomach churn. 

        Takeda collected the paperwork from the front desk while Koushi led Shouyou to a seat. 

        It wasn’t too much later that he was being called back into the actual office. Takeda waved them away, saying he’d stay in the waiting room.

        After checking Shouyou’s weight, height, and vitals and what not, the nurse happily chimed that the doctor would be in soon.

        Koushi and Shouyou waited quietly, Shouyou feeling tense. He lightly kicked his feet back and forth from his place on the bed, but immediately stopped and looked up when the door opened. 

        A middle aged man with sandy brown hair with matching brown eyes and glasses on top of his head entered the room. He sent a kind smile to both Shouyou and Koushi.

        He held a hand out to Koushi, then Shouyou. “I am Dr. Matsuoka Jirou. A pleasure to meet you.”

        “Nice to meet you,” Shouyou said.

        “You must be Hinata Shouyou,” he said as he sat down. Shouyou nodded. Dr. Matsuoka looked over to Koushi. “Father?”

        Koushi nodded as well. “Sugawara Koushi,” he said. 

        Dr. Matsuoka chuckled as he looked through his papers. “My sister’s in love with your work,” he claimed. Koushi chuckled as well, turning a light red. The doctor turned back to Shouyou. “What seems to have brought you in today, young man? It says you haven’t been feeling well for the last couple of weeks. Can you please elaborate?”

        Shouyou looked over to Koushi, who gave him a supportive nod, before speaking. “I’ve just been feeling kinda nauseous, and I’ve barely been able to keep food down. Sometimes just the smell of food will make my stomach upset… And I’ve been a lot more tired lately…”

        “Mmm hmm,” Dr. Matsuoka said, typing on the computer. “Anything else?”

        Shouyou thought for a moment, wrinkling his eyebrows in the process. “A couple weeks ago, my brother had to bring me home from practice because I kept tripping over myself,” he grumbled, going pink. “Was feeling kinda light headed that day, but more tired than anything…” 

        Dr. Matsouka hummed, tapping another couple buttons on his computer. “You’ve also gained a couple pounds since your last check up last month,” he commented. He cracked a smile at Shouyou. “With how skinny you are, that’s probably a good thing.”

        Shouyou wasn’t that amused. 

        The doctor pushed his glasses down so he could look through them. “Now, just a few customary questions. Do you smoke?”

        “No.”

        “Are you around anyone who does smoke?”

        “Um, not really. Just Saeko when she visits, sometimes, and Ukai-san when he’s over.”

        “Do you drink?”

        “No.”

        “Other drugs?”

        “No way! I wouldn’t be able to play volleyball if I did those things!”

        Dr. Matsuoka chuckled, flipping to the next page on his packet. “Just one last question,” he said. “Are you sexually active?”

        Shouyou couldn’t answer. He looked over at Koushi then back to the doctor. 

        “Would you like him to leave?” Dr. Matsuoka asked. 

        “No! No, it’s okay!” Shouyou quickly exclaimed. “It’s just… kinda… awkward talking about it with people I don’t know…”

        “Understandable,” Dr. Matsuoka said, nodding. “Take your time.” Slowly, Shouyou nodded. “And when was the last time?”

        Shouyou bit his lip, looking down at his lap. “Erm, about a month and a half ago?” he offered with a shrug. 

        Dr. Matsuoka finished writing on his paper and pulled a sample cup out of one of the cupboards. “Take this. There’s a bathroom you can you just a few doors down, and when you’re done just place the cup in the silver door. You’ll see it when you get in there. Once you’re done, results shouldn’t take too long to get back.”

        The whole process took less than fifteen minutes. The peeing in the cup, sending it off to get analyzed, Dr. Matsuoka going and retrieving the results and coming back.

        The few seconds after he came in and shut the door and sat down dragged on for what felt like years. 

        Finally, the doctor turned to them with a grin. “Well, congratulation, Hinata-kun, you’re going to have a baby,” he said.

        And Shouyou’s world crumbled. 

        While, as long as he didn’t take any major falls or injuries, he could continue playing volleyball, he’d have to stop before the year was even out. He wouldn’t be able to go to nationals with his team. 

         And how did they explain it to his team, anyway? To the school? Because for Shouyou, abortion was  _ not  _ an option. 

         He couldn’t stand the disappointed looks he got from just about everyone. Tobio had no right, so he didn’t. Kei called him an idiot, but then moved on with his life. 

        Everyone was supportive, of course. But they also told him he was young to be having a kid. 

        The nausea went away about month three, but the mood swings hit like a truck. Shouyou was already easily susceptible to quickly changing moods, but the pregnancy didn't much help. 

        Dr. Matsuoka said isn’t wasn’t terribly uncommon, and every pregnancy was different. “They should start mellowing out in a couple of weeks,” he claimed. 

        Month five had the third years taking their final exams and graduating. Which was a good thing, because Shouyou had started showing and no one was quite sure how to hide it  from the school once that happened. 

         Everyone came back to watch the graduation, and there were many tears from everyone. All the second and first years were sad to see their third years finally go, but they knew they were leaving the team in good hands. 

        Only a week later, the household was turning into a mad house. Most of the older ones were heading back to their own universities, and Hitoka was heading off to Tokyo for hers. Kei was taking a year off before going to university to focus on his modeling while Tobio was looking around for a job to help support Shouyou, no matter how many times Koushi and Daichi told him not to worry about it just yet. (Eventually Daichi relented and gave him a job at the shop)

        Shouyou, on the other hand, was being a busybody for another reason. He’d gotten a bit bigger- not so much that it was noticeable to the majority of his classmates, but he could see it because it was happening to his body- but  _ now  _ he was beginning to show. 

        And with the showing came the looks from others and the muttered insults and everything people could be  _ thinking-  _ and it was driving Shouyou up the walls with anxiety. It’d have been bad enough if he was a teenage  _ girl _ , but he was a boy, and that would only prompt questions. 

        It was another doctor’s appointment. 

        At the last one, they’d talked about Shouyou’s heartburn and the random aches and swelling he’d get. It was all completely normal, so Dr. Matsuoka claimed, and was nothing to worry about. 

        But this time, neither Koushi or Daichi could get time off work to take Shouyou, so it was just him and Tobio. The smaller boy fidgeted in his sleep. 

        “But what’re they gonna think of me once it gets really noticeable?” he whined quietly. 

        Tobio rolled his eyes. “What’s it matter what they think?” he questioned. 

        Shouyou looked up to him with pleading eyes. “ _ Tobiooooooo _ .”

        Tobio groaned, only half-heartedly trying to shake Shouyou off his arm. “That you’re a dumbass trans who didn’t get his womb removed,” he stated. 

        Shouyou pouted. “Then you’re just the stupid gay boyfriend that knocked me up, Bakayama.”

        Tobio rolled his eyes and, before Shouyou could react, leaned down and pressed his lips to Shouyou’s. 

        “As I said: what’s it matter what they think?” he growled. 

        “Hinata Shouyou?” a nurse called out, making the two jump. 

        Shouyou waved as he stood up, dragging Tobio along after him. “You’re taking care of me when we get home,” he stated lowly. “I’m all horny and crap now.”

        Tobio raised an eyebrow. “You’ve been horny for the last three weeks. Nothing new,” he claimed, which earned him a smack from Shouyou.

        But as it got closer and closer to his due date, Shouyou got more and more scared. 

        “I’m scared,” he whimpered helplessly, curled up into Koushi’s side while Daichi rubbed his back. “They don’t teach you this kind of stuff in human schools…”

        “But Dr. Matsuoka’s talked us through this, and he’s answered all our questions,” Koushi murmured, rubbing Shouyou’s arm comfortingly. 

        Shouyou fisted his hand in Koushi’s shirt, and both parents could feel their child shaking under their touch. “But what if I don’t make it?” he asked. He looked up at Koushi with wide, wet eyes. “What if I don’t make it through?”

        Daichi hugged both of them close. “That’s not going to happen,” he said with certainty. “They’ll do everything to make sure that doesn’t happen.”

        “What if they baby-”

        Koushi squeezed Shouyou tightly. “It’ll be fine,” he said. “The baby’s going to be fine. They’ll protect the baby too.”

        Shouyou couldn’t be certain, though, and continued to worry. He  _ dreaded  _ the due date, and tried to delay it as much as possible. But there was no stopping it, and the realization came in full force July 13th. 

        Shouyou had doubled over in pain just shortly after breakfast- one he hadn’t been able to finish. Immediately, Koushi and Daichi rushed him over to the hospital. 

        The pain was agony on Shouyou’s body, and it took several hours before it was all over. 

        But at eight thirty-five, with many of his family standing around him and Tobio at his side, a small bundle in pink was placed in Shouyou’s arms. 

        Shouyou’s swelled when his saw his baby’s face. A little girl, with a tuff of soft black hair and brown eyes that blinked open when she was placed in Shouyou’s arms. She smiled, as only a baby can; making hot tears spill down Shouyou’s cheeks as Tobio placed a hand on his back.

        She was perfect, she was beautiful. The child of him and Tobio. 

        He pressed his face into the baby’s chest. “Sora,” Shouyou managed to choke out. “Kageyama Sora. To fly to the sky.”

        Tobio placed a hand on Sora’s head, smiling softly at the two most important people in his life. “It’s… beautiful, Shouyou.  _ She’s _ beautiful.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These dorks are just so cute, and I've become invested in brotherly-ness between Kei and Shouyou. Anyway! Moving on!  
> Up and coming ideas are:  
> \- Another chapter featuring Sora, which happens only a couple months after this.   
> \- Kei and Ryuu being dorks and brotherly bonding.   
> \- Seako learning to drive.   
> \- Kei on a modeling gig.
> 
> And of course, place requests!


	23. The Question

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shouyou's asked an interesting question. Kei isn't happy about his answer.

        “Hinata-senpai! Hinata-senpai!”

        Shouyou turned at the call of his name. Two first years (Shouyou a now second year) by the names of Matsushita Shota and Saitou Ryouichi came running up to him. He grinned at them happily. 

        “What’s up?” he asked. 

        “Is it true that you’re related to just about everyone on the team?” Saitou asked, his eyes going wide. 

        Shouyou grinned, standing tall. “Yup! Ryuu, Yuu, and Chikara are my big brothers! I’m Kei and Hitoka’s brother, too. Bakayama lives with us, but we’re not actually related.”

        Their jaws dropped. “Even Yachi-senpai?!” they exclaimed. 

        Shouyou grinned even wider and nodded. “Yeah! Which actually makes it kinda awkard when people ask if we’re dating…” Shouyou laughed as he rubbed the back of his neck. 

        “Hey, Hinata-senpai, do you have any younger brothers?” Matsushita asked, tilting his head. 

        Shouyou rubbed his chin, thinking deeply. 

        “Well, my birthday does come before Kei, so I guess you could say he’s my little brother,” Shouyou mused aloud.

        Matushita and Saitou went pale and took a step back as a shadow passed over Shouyou. Shouyou turned as Kei raised an unamused eyebrow. 

        “Who are you calling little?” he asked with a smirk. 

        “No one!” Shouyou exclaimed, turning back to the first years. “Back to cleaning, guys!”


	24. Searching for Padurea

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shouyou goes searching for his origins. It’s a rollercoaster, for sure.

        Out of all the kids that had been adopted (legally) by Koushi and Daichi, only three of them ever thought of their “real” parents, or questioned why they didn’t have a mom.

        Akiteru, Saeko, and- Shouyou. 

        Akiteru and Saeko were a bit obvious. After all, they’d been older when their parents died. Akiteru’s in a train crash, and Saeko’s in a battle between packs to protect her and Ryuu. Both had ended up finding their way to Koushi and Daichi, with the help of some other older wolves. 

        But it wasn’t until Shouyou was eight that he began thinking about where he came from, who his birth parents were. And it was Takeda-san’s fault.

        He and Ukai were over for dinner with their kids. Shouyou happened to be helping Daichi washing dishes after the meal in the kitchen while the grownups talked. 

        “I’m pregnant,” Takeda revealed and Koushi gushed.

        “Congratulations!” he exclaimed. “When did you find out?”

        “Just a couple of days ago,” Takeda explained. But then he mournfully looked over to Ukai and the blond man sighed, smacking Takeda’s back.

        “Quit givin’ me that look,” he complained. 

        Daichi and Koushi looked at each other before turning to the couple. “What’s going on?” Daichi asked, furrowing his eyebrows while drying a plate.

        “It’s not… Kenshin’s,” Takeda explained, looking down at his hands. “Well, you see, in Padurea, if you’re legally a resident, meaning you grew up there and everything, you can be drawn for lots to be impregnated. They do this so pure blooded fae don’t die out, and most of us give out most of our children anyway, so…” Takeda hung his head. “We’ve been trying for  _ years  _ now and  _ this  _ is how it happens…”

        Ukai rolled his eyes, taking Takeda’s hand. “It’s still gonna be my kid, alright? Nothing’s going to change it. What yours is mine and visa-versa and all that crap.”

        Takeda laughed at Ukai, finally smiling through the tense atmosphere. 

        Nine months later, Takeda had a little baby girl he named Natsu. 

        “Hinata Natsu,” Takeda said when he brought the new baby over for a visit. “I hope you don’t mind I used your name, Hinata-kun. It’s just… she looks so much like you.”

        Shouyou just grinned happily at the time. “It just means I have a new little sister!” he claimed. 

        It wasn’t too much later that Shouyou began thinking. 

_         Why  _ **_does_ ** _ Natsu look like me? _

_         Do we share the same Mom? The same dad?! _

_         I wanna find my mom… _

        The thoughts had taken a back burner as time continued forward and things got more complicated. Kei going into modeling, Tobio moving in with them, the eldest two graduating, and all that other fun stuff. On top of taking lessons on how to control his magic.

        Of course, the thoughts never truly went away and he’d occasionally bring things about the faerie realm up to Takeda.

        He’d once asked about his mother, but Takeda revealed he didn’t actually know her. He’d seen her around when he had meetings he had to be at in Padurea, and of course when they’d done the act, but he didn’t even know her name.

        Plans to find her didn’t even occur to him until high school when it was time for the third years to start choosing universities.

        Before he’d ever known he was pregnant with Sora, Shouyou knew what he wanted to do. And just looking at the little baby, asleep in her crib, further cemented his decision.

        It was nearing the end of September when Shouyou asked to talk to Daichi, Koushi, and Tobio all at once. 

        They all sat around the table, Sora asleep on Shouyou’s chest. 

        “What is this about?” Koushi asked, tilting his head a bit curiously.

        Shouyou took a deep breath. “I’ve… decided I’m going to go to university,” he stated.

        Daichi and Koushi’s eyes widened. “Most schools have already gotten midway through the semester,” Daichi said. 

        Shouyou nodded, not looking up at his family. “I… I know,” he said. “But there’s this school in Padurea that starts in the fall. In a couple weeks, actually.”

        “Padurea? As in, the faerie realm?” Tobio questioned, astonished. 

        “Yes,” Shouyou said. “Takeda-san has helped me apply and get a dorm and everything.”

        Koushi sighed, pressing a hand to his temple. “Shouyou, I don’t mean to sound like the overprotective parent saying you can’t do it because you have a child-  _ but you have a child! _ ” He looked to his son pleadingly. “What do you plan on doing with Sora?”

        “I’ll take her with me,” Shouyou said, his throat tightening. He knew it wouldn’t be fair, taking their daughter away from Tobio, but he  _ needed  _ Sora, just as much as she needed him.

        “Shouyou, we know what you’re capable of,” Daichi said. “I personally know you can go to school and raise a child. But you’re not going to have it easy. Here, you have each of us to help you. In Padurea, you’ll be on your own.”

        Shouyou held Sora tighter. “I- I know,” he said, closing his eyes and willing the tears away. “But I- I- I’ve decided. I can do this. I’ll figure it out.”

        Koushi and Daichi exchanged looks before each of them placed a hand on Shouyou’s. “We’ll support you no matter what you chose, Shouyou,” Koushi promised.

        Tobio didn’t say a word throughout the whole thing, even after Koushi and Daichi had retired to bed. 

        The two sat in awkward silence, the only light coming from a lamp behind Tobio. It made Tobio’s face harder to see and emotions harder to read, though it illuminated Shouyou’s.

        “Why?” Tobio asked. “Why are you leaving? Do I- Do I not even get a choice? An opinion?”

        “Tobio-”

        “No,” Tobio said, standing and going over to sit by Shouyou. “I’m not finished. We’re  _ family _ , Shouyou, we have a  _ daughter _ . And you’re just going to up and leave? I’m here because I love you and I want to care for our daughter with you.”

        Shouyou fell over on Tobio’s shoulder, not looking up at him. 

        “This is something I have to do,” he muttered. “I have to find out more about  _ me _ . About where I come from.” Hot tears began leaking from his eyes and he reached to wipe them away. “I love you, too, Tobio. I  _ know  _ it’s not fair, but I- I  _ have  _ to do this.”

        Tobio wrapped and arm around Shouyou so the smaller’s head was rest on his chest, right above his heart. “What am I going to do without you?” he questioned. 

        “Go back to school,” Shouyou said. He looked up to see Tobio looking at him with wide eyes. “I know you got a volleyball scholarship,” Shouyou stated stubbornly. “With me gone, you can go to university without having to worry about working so you can pay for useless things for me or Sora.”

        Tobio sent Shouyou a glare. “Not useless, dumb-”

        Shouyou covered Tobio’s mouth with his hand before Tobio could finish his thought. “You can go big with volleyball,” Shouyou continued, creasing his eyebrows. “Just like everyone thinks you can. No, we all  _ know  _ it. And without me holding you back…”

        Tobio wrapped both his arms around his little family tightly. Then he nestled his face into Shouyou’s fiery hair. 

        “You’ve never held me back,” Tobio grumbled, squeezing Shouyou tighter. “Never.”

        “Will you sleep with us tonight?”

        “Yeah.”

        The packing began the next morning, but no one spoke of Shouyou’s going away. It hung heavy and unspoken in the air. People continuously came back for the weekend Shouyou was going away. 

        Once he was in Padurea, he wouldn’t be able to leave for a while. For one, he’d have to learn how to open the portal on his own. For another, the time was different on each side of the equation. 

        No one was quite sure when they’d see Shouyou again. 

        The group stood in an open clearing in the middle of the forest. Shouyou was carrying Sora and a single bag- Takeda had already moved everything back to his dorms on the other side. 

        Ryuu, Yuu, Kiyoko, and Asahi stood in a group with Yuu trying to keep Asahi from crying. Kei stood with Yamaguchi and Hitoka, being the best one out of all in hiding his emotions. 

        Though he was the first to admit: “It’s weird. It’s always been the three of us.”

        Akiteru and Saeko stood on either side of Koushi and Daichi, Koushi smiling though he cried. Chikara, Kazuhito, and Hiashi stood with encoraging smiles. 

        Tobio and Natsu were near Takeda and Ukai, the two men standing on either side of a swirling portal. Shouyou hugged Koushi tightly, then Daichi, then Koushi again.

        “My baby’s all grown up now,” he said, smiling. “And going out into the world.”

        “Paaaa,” Shouyou whined. “I’m not a baby!”

        Koushi just smiled at his son. “You’ll always be my baby,” he stated. “You’ll be okay, Shouyou. Be strong.”

        Shouyou gave one last hug to his parents before going over to Tobio and Natsu. Natsu tightly hugged Shouyou, a big grin on her face. 

        “See you soon, nii-chan!” she exclaimed. Shouyou smiled and ruffled her hair, prompting the girl to giggle. 

        The last for Shouyou to say goodbye to was Tobio. Like Kei, he wasn’t having too much trouble masking his emotions. 

        Unlike the blond, however, he crumbled when Shouyou turned to him.

        Tobio took the closing steps between him and Shouyou, pulling him into a hug. 

        “You’ll be back?” Tobio whispered. “You’ll come back, right?”

        Shouyou pressed his forehead to Tobio’s with a smile. “I promise,” he whispered. “I’ll always come back. Don’t forget about me.”

        “Never,” Tobio promised immediately.

        Shouyou smiled before he joined Takeda before the portal. 

        “Ready?” Takeda asked. Shouyou hesitated before nodding. “Right then. Let’s go.”

        He pulled a key out of his pocket and inserted it into the portal. It began moving slower and Takeda stepped through it, disappearing. With a final smile back at his family, Shouyou too disappeared into Padurea.


	25. Where We Belong

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tobio's time in university - without Shouyou.

        It truly seemed unreal without Shouyou, without Sora.

        Being practically alone in the big house. 

        Tobio was the only one left at home, all the others off in university or with jobs. Tobio was busy as well, going through the process of explaining why he he was trying to get into the school so late and prove he was up to the standards of all the other students and wouldn’t be falling behind.

        It took a considerable amount of work, but he made it, just before his eighteenth birthday in December.

        Tobio had to work hard to keep up with his classmates and double as a player on the university’s volleyball team. 

        Hard, but rewarding. 

        Through long hours spent in the gym with his new teammates on free winter nights, Tobio learned to trust his teammates and toss for them like he had the others back in high school. Many learned there was someone not so scary under that  _ very scary  _ exterior and, hell, they could even call each other friends. 

        But Tobio still turned to cheer with Shouyou, only to see his new middle blocker instead. 

        The pain was raw and rubbed harshly at his heart like a rough sponge on your skin until you bleed. 

        February came and passed and a small black box sat on Tobio’s dorm room desk, just gathering dust until he stuffed it into the bottom drawer. 

        March, April, May, and finals all passed with minimal excitement. Not necessarily in that order, but you get it. Vacation came and Tobio returned home. 

        Kei was there. Hitoka, Saeko, and Yuu too. Yuu, Tobio, and Hitoka helped out at Daichi’s shop some days, keeping the boredom of being away from their significant others away.

        However, Tobio spent most of the summer as a wolf. Curled up on the couch and missing Shouyou. Without the distraction of school, Tobio was thinking about the missing Shouyou more than ever. 

        Until Yuu got him, Tobio, and Kei on the neighborhood volleyball team. It gave them all a welcome focus. 

        Summer passed and the school year began again. 

        Before Tobio knew it, he was nineteen. 

        New challenges at school, a new post as the starting setter on the university team, and a new roommate were some of the changes to come in his second year of college. 

        Then he was twenty and trying to decide what he want to do  _ after  _ volleyball and finding an apartment off campus, and getting a roommate there too. Art, Tobio decided, was what he wanted to do. After Asahi asked him to make the pictures for a children’s book he was writing, it was easy to decide.

        He was scouted to try out for the Olympic Volleyball team, too. 

        It was exciting news, and he was ecstatic to go back home to tell Koushi and Daichi and Hajime. 

        Tobio was just packing up the rest of his supplies after his last lecture for the day was over when his roommate ran into the classroom. 

        “Kageyama!” the boy shouted, his eyes wide. “Man, you gotta see this! There’s some guy with, like, the craziest hair outside the school with this little girl. Looks like he could be from the circus or something.”

        Tobio’s eyes widened at his roommate’s words. 

        There was only one guy Tobio knew with orange hair - it couldn’t be.  _ Could it? _

        Tobio dashed out of the room and down the hallway, not bothering to stop an apologize as he knocked into people in his hurry.

        There was a large crowd gathered outside the front gates of the university, and Tobio had to shove his way through the tightly packed people. 

        He was breathing heavily by the time he reached the front and almost collapsed. Everything was blocked out; no sound, no sights, nothing but the bright eyes and vivid hair Tobio had known since he was thirteen.

        There was a little girl in the boy’s arms. Long, silky black hair and the same bright brown eyes and beaming smile. The smile only widened when the girl caught sight of Tobio.

        She scrambled out of the boy’s arms and began running over to Tobio while laughing happily. “Daddy!” she called as she jumped into Tobio’s arms. 

        Hotness prickled at the back of Tobio’s eyes as he looked from the girl clinging to him and the boy walking towards him. 

        “Sora?” he asked, his voice cracking as he looked back at the little girl. He looked at the boy - no,  _ man  _ now. “Shouyou.”

        Shouyou grinned at Tobio; one of those bright, closed eyed grins, as he held his hands behind his back. “I’m back, Tobio.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like I need Shouyou's side now, too... I hope you all enjoyed! I'll get onto more characters soon. I'm sure you'd like to see some of the others have their own chapter.


	26. Bonds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kei and Ryuu... aren't all that dissimilar.

        Ryuu and Kei aren’t all that dissimilar. Of course, both would argue this to their death, but the truth cannot be hidden away.

        On the surface, you really can’t see them being similar at all. And really, no one would blame you. 

        Kei is hard working, brilliant, and highly cynical. Also very sarcastic. 

        Ryuu prefers play over work, he could be at the top of his class if he tried but he really doesn’t want to. He’s always looking to help others. 

        But there are more than a few similarities between the brothers. 

        They were the only ones to have known siblings before they came to Daichi and Koushi, for one. The only ones to share their names with another of their siblings. 

        If you mess with any of their siblings (especially their sisters) you’ll find yourself at the bottom of a creek before you can blink. Or at least, you’d wish you were that lucky. 

        They were also similar in matters of the heart. 

        Akiteru was straight, and Seako was open to anything, honestly. Chikara liked girls, while Yuu leaned more towards boys (though ever since he was probably twelve he only ever had eyes for Asahi). Hitoka was very bi and Shouyou was as gay as could be. 

        Ryuu and Kei? Demisexual. 

        Neither felt anything for one gender or the other. 

        “Too complicated,” Kei said once. “Too bothersome.”

        Of course, that was before he got to know Tadashi. The only person he’d ever felt an emotional attraction to before. It surprised no one when they began dating.

        Ryuu was different, in some aspects. 

        He and Kiyoko had more time to get to know each other. He’d loved her since they were young and he knew (okay, who  _ didn’t _ ?) he couldn’t love anyone as much as he did her. That was how it was. 

        Kei and Ryuu loved their partners with everything they were, no matter what they were. 

        Kei didn’t care about Tadashi’s anxiety or his freckles or that he wasn’t as strong as some of the others or that he was very,  _ very  _ much human.

        Ryuu didn’t care that Kiyko had been born as a boy, or that by associating with her and dating her he’d be harassed. 

        No one harassed their lovers without consequences. 

        And in that sense, the two are quite alike indeed.


	27. The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Christmas Eve! And what sucks, is that Daichi and Asahi are sick.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What?! It's been almost a month since I've updated?! I'm sooorrrryyyy! I've been in a sort of slump, and under a lot of stress. Thank you to all of you who have stuck with me. I don't know when I'll update again, but here's the Christmas chapter I promised! (Even though it's grossly late)

        It was Asahi’s first Christmas with his new family, and he was  _ sick _ .

        It was just his luck that he’d end up ill, though not that surprising. At the time, he was still a twig from being malnourished for so long, even though he’d gained quite a bit of weight in the time he’d been in the Sugawara-Sawamura household. 

        The point was, Asahi was sick and he was miserable. 

        It was the winter season, obviously. So that meant that the winters colds were coming up. Shouyou had come home with a cold one day.

        And because one child got sick,  _ all of them _ got sick. Though by the time Christmas Eve rolled around, Asahi was still sick. Daich had ended up feeling miserable, too. 

        Which meant that Koushi was going to the store to get medicine as well as the last ingredients needed for their Christmas dinner the next day. 

        Daichi’s nose was red and runny as he stood by the door with Koushi. Koushi gave him a worried look. “Are you sure you’ll be alright?” he asked worriedly.

        Daichi rolled his eyes, brushing his hand on Koushi’s cheek. “I’ll be fine,” he said. “It’s not the first time I’ve gotten sick, it’s not the first time any of our kids have gotten sick, and it’s not the last. We’ll be okay alone for ten minutes.”

        Koushi bit his lip, looking out at the weather outside. “It may take a bit longer than that…”

        Daichi kissed Koushi’s cheek. “If you don’t want to go, we’ll be okay without the medicine. You can just stay here and we can curl up in front of the tv and watch some crappy old Christmas shows.”

        Koushi’s expression steeled. “No. You need that medicine, Daichi. I’ll be back soon.” He leaned up and kissed Daichi’s cheek and smiled sweetly at him. “I love you. Don’t exert yourself.”

        Daichi rolled his eyes as he shut the door behind Koushi. 

        He made his way to the living room and sat on the couch heavily. Asahi was curled up tightly in one of the comfy chairs, wrapped like a burrito in a baby blue blanket. Daichi’s expression softened at the sight of him. 

        “Hey, come here,” he said softly. Asahi did as bidden and dragged himself and the blanket over to Daichi. They both laid down on the couch. Asahi sneezed. 

        The other kids looked through the door to the living room as Daichi and Asahi dozed. 

        Seako and Akiteru looked at each other then nodded. They each took a couple kids and began dragging their younger siblings into the kitchen. 

        After everyone was gathered and the youngest ones were sitting on the floor in front of Seako and Akiteru, they began telling their plan.

        “Alright!” Seako began. “Papa’s gone and Dad and Asahi are sick! That means that we’ve gotta help them get better. So that means we’re gonna assign jobs!” She pointed to Shouyou, Kei, and Hitoka. “You three gotta go find them blankets and pillows and stuff to keep ‘em warm!”

        Hitoka and Shouyou looked excitedly at one another and tugged a whining Kei out of the room. Satisfied, Seako and Akiteru turned their attention to the other three. 

        “You three are in charge of picking up the toys and making the beds,” Akiteru said, prompting both Ryuu and Yuu to whine. 

        “Why do we gotta do the bad joooooobs,” they complained.

        Chikara sighed and rolled his eyes at his two brothers. “Come on!” he said, standing tall and proud. “We gotta do what we can for Daddy! It’s our job so we gotta do it!”

        Ryuu and Yuu looked at Chikara in awe before running to catch up with him as he went to start their assigned task. 

        “And what are we doing again?” Akiteru asked, looking over at Seako curiously. Seako grinned, rolling up her sleeves.

        “We’re gonna cook some soup and make some tea!” she claimed. 

        Daichi was awoken from his doze a few moments later by Shouyou stuffing blankets around him and Asahi. Asahi was bright red, but if it was because of the fever or something else, Daichi couldn’t tell. 

        “What’re you doing?” Daichi asked groggily, sitting up. Asahi moved to curl up into his side. Shouyou frowned as the blankets fell around them, him and Hitoka immediately moving to wrap the blankets around the two sickly ones.

        “Seako says we gotta get you blankets and pillows ‘cause you’re sick,” Hitoka explained, grinning. 

        Shouyou tossed a blanket over Asahi’s head and Asahi pulled it around his shoulders so it wasn’t covering his face. 

        Kei was in the corner of the room, holding his bear close to his chest and looking between it and Asahi. Shouyou kept piling blankets on Daichi and Asahi until Daichi took his hands.

        “Thank you for your help, Shou, but if you give us too many blankets, it won’t be good either,” he explained as Shouyou began tearing up. His bottom lip began quivering. 

       “I don’t wanna make you sicker!” he cried. Daichi smiled a bit as he sighed and pulled Shouyou closer, kissing his forehead and wiping away his tears. 

       “You’re not going to make me more sick,” he said. “I’ll be just fine. How about we just put some of these blankets back so it’s not a problem, okay?”

       Shouyou nodded excitedly, picking up an armful of blankets bigger than him. Daichi moved some of the blankets off to help the kids take them back upstairs, but Kei jumped in to stop him.

        “No!” he exclaimed. “We- We can do it!” He quickly looked at his special bear then at Asahi. He turned bright pink and thrust the bear at Asahi before picking up several blankets and running after Shouyou. 

        Daichi chuckled as Hitoka took off with the last of the unneeded blankets. Asahi snuggled up against him once against, smiling slightly and holding the bear tightly. 

        Daichi had just closed his eyes again when the crash sounded. 

        Immediately he was on his feet and running for the kitchen. Seako was screaming while Akiteru was pulling her hair. The both of them was bumping into everything as they tried to fight the other off. A pot of something that Daichi assumed was supposed to be soup was bubbling and boiling over on the stove, making the flames at the bottom sputter.

        “I told you not to do that!” Akiteru shouted. 

        “If you hadn’t pushed me, it wouldn’t have happened!” Seako shrieked. 

        “You are a  _ terrible  _ cook! I’m never eating anything you make ever again!”

        “ _ Akiteru _ !”

        Daichi immediately pulled the pot off the stove, wincing at the boiling broth to touch his hands. He tossed a pitcher of water on the flames and turned the stove off, then he rounded on his children and pulled them apart. 

        “Seako! Akiteru! Mind telling me what’s going on?” he demanded, hands on his hips and looking downright terrifying to the twelve year olds.

        Both looked down and had the right mind to look ashamed. 

        “We’re sorry, Dad,” Akiteru mumbled. “We just…”

        “We were just trying to make you some soup like Papa does to help you feel better,” Seako finished. 

        Daichi sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “It’s a nice thought, kids,” he said. “But, please, you still need and adult to help you in here. It’s too dangerous to do by yourselves. Knives are meant to be handled with care, and you need to be taught how to use them. You could have serious hurt yourselves just now with the stove, too.”

        He gave them each a pointed look before pulling them into a hug. 

        “Next time, just ask for help,” he told them before letting them go. “And for tonight, you’re both on dishes duty. Starting now. Clean up in here.”

        Seako and Akiteru nodded, immediately getting to cleaning as Daichi nodded at them. A bang came from upstairs and Daichi cringed, not wanting to think about what kind of trouble his other children were getting in to.

        He slowly made his way upstairs and to the only room with the door open.

        And immediately froze at the sight in front of him.

        Ryuu and Yuu were gleefully smacking each other with pillows, a couple deflated ones with their stuffing scattered across the floor. Chikara was crying in the middle of the room, but was mostly drowned out by Ryuu and Yuu’s shouts of glee, and Kei and Shouyou’s shouts.

        Shouyou and Kei each tugged on the ends of a blanket, the only evidence of Hitoka being the hand sticking out of it.

        It was to them that Daichi ran first, untangling Hitoka from the blanket and making sure she could breath. Her hair was a mess and her face was flushed, but she was smiling. 

        “I wanna do it again!” she exclaimed. 

        Daichi sighed and patted her head. “Let’s just put the blankets away for now, okay?”

        “Okay!” 

        Daichi turned towards Ryuu and Yuu and pulled the pillows out of their hands and tossed them to the side. Both boys gulped at Daichi’s stare. 

        “Mind telling me what you were doing?” he questioned. 

        Yuu jumped back a step and pointed at Ryuu. “He started it!” he exclaimed. 

        Ryuu’s face colored as he glared at Yuu. “Uh uh! You did, you big liar!”

        “Hey, don’t call me a liar!” Yuu complained. 

        “But you are a liar, you liar!”

        Ryuu yipped as he turned into a wolf. Yuu shrieked when Ryuu pounced towards him, jumping up and hovering unsteadily in the air with his wings. 

        Ryuu growled and jumped up, nipping at Yuu’s ankles. 

        “That’s enough!” Daichi shouted. “Both of you, to your room! On your beds, and leave each other alone. If I have to come and get after you two for fighting, you’re both grounded from games and going anywhere this weekend. Got it?”

        Both Yuu and Ryuu nodded. Yuu landed and Ryuu turned human, both sulking as they went to their room. 

        Once all that was figured out, Daichi knelt down by Chikara and held him until he sobbed out the story of how he’d tried to stop Ryuu and Yuu, only to get hit with a pillow. 

        Daichi sighed, standing with Chikara in his arms. 

        “I think it’s bedtime,” he said. 

        “But Dad!” Kei exclaimed. “We haven’t read the story yet!”

        “And Papa’s not here to hang up stockings with us!” Shouyou added in.

        Daichi’s shoulders sagged. “Then let’s go get ready for bed so we can do so once Papa gets back home,” he said, ushering them all out of the room. 

        Chikara climbed out of his arms and ran off to go get ready for bed. 

        Daichi had just sat down on the couch once again when the front door opened to Koushi. Koushi brushed off his coat and smiled over at Daichi and Asahi.

        “Have fun?” he asked, laughing when Daichi groaned. “I’ll take that as a  _ no _ .”

        “Why did I ever let you convince me to take in  _ so many _ ?” he questioned. 

        Koushi lightly kissed Daichi’s lips. “‘Cause you love me,” he stated. 

        Soon all the children bounded downstairs, all of them in their various Christmas pajamas. Kei with his dinosaurs wearing santa hats, Shouyou will his red and green volleyballs, Hitoka and Seako in their pretty matching snowmen nightgowns, Chikara and Akiteru with their different elves, and Ryuu and Yuu in their Rudolph outfits.

        Everyone gathered around Daichi as Koushi handed him  _ The Night Before Christmas _ . Once the story was over and done with, Koushi handed out stockings and everyone hung them on the fireplace (Asahi never looked happier).

        The children were all asleep by the time Koushi and Daichi were climbing in their own bed. Koushi snuggled up against Daichi and Daichi wrapped his arms around his husband. 

        “Ready to be pounced on early tomorrow?” he asked. 

        Daichi groaned, burying his face in Koushi’s chest. “Noooooooo.”

        Koushi laughed. “Merry Christmas, Daichi.”

        “Yeah yeah. Merry Christmas to you too, love.”


	28. Like the Stars (Part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shouyou's time in Padurea is far from uneventful.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woo! This will hopefully be the only time I do multiple parts, but it was getting on nine pages and I didn't want to overwhelm people. This story had generally short chapters. Also, you get a large information dump in the form of an OC named Qiang Chunmei. I didn't mean to make her as big a thing as I did in the chapter, but I've thought a lot about her so it just kinda happened. I hope you don't mind! Now, onto the story!

        Stepping through the portal was like stepping into another world. Well, they  _ were _ , but it was still blowing Shouyou’s mind.

        On the other side, instead of being in the middle of a forest, they stood in the middle of a bustling city.

        “‘Scue me, coming through!” A girl with bright golden wings zipped past, scattering papers everywhere and having to double back once or twice to pick them all up. 

        Takeda chuckled at Shouyou’s entranced expression. 

        “Follow me,” he said. “I’ll take you to your apartment. Everything’s already there.”

        Shouyou continued to marvel at everything as he followed closely behind Takeda. 

        The streets weren’t completely packed, but was more due to the fae up in the air. There was a group of street- er, sky performers on a magic carpet playing some old indie type music. One of them jumped and turned into a sleek grey wolf, letting out a howl that resounded well with the music. The rest of the group laughed and some of the audience clapped as the wolf turned human again and bowed dramatically. 

        Across the street, there was a cafe with fairy lights floating around the name. A few tables floated in the air while others were on the ground. As they passed, Shouyou caught a couple girls talking about magic.

        “Frankly, I prefer runes to wands, you know-”

        “Obviously. I do see the appeal, but wands help me channel my magic better-”

        A group of boys were kicking around some kind of magic sphere in the grass of a bookstore. They stopped as a fairy with rose colored wings fluttered by, a couple letting out whistles. The boy with a greenish tint to the edges of his skin and curly hair blew out of his cupped hands and gold shimmering butterflies fluttered over to the fairy and circled around her before dispersing.

        She blushed before running off.

        Shouyou jumped when an explosion went off in an old brick building. He pulled Sora closer and eyed the building carefully. An old, hunchbacked woman threw a much younger man out of the front door. 

        He wore a long black apron over a light blue tee-shirt and brown jeans, evidently a worker of the establishment. 

        “I’ve told ye that yer not to be messing with the herbs and potions without supervision, boy!” the woman screeched, making Sora fuss and whine. Shouyou immediately began to comfort her. 

        “S-Sorry, Agatha!” the boy across the street exclaimed as black smoke began to billow out of the shop. Agatha screeched again, yelling something about her spell books and running back inside.

        Shouyou scurried a bit closer to Takeda and Takeda gave a small laugh. “This is a university town,” he explained. “So it’s the bare minimum of what you’ll experience in Padurea. You can always see more, but I wanted to ease you into the experience.”

        Shouyou nodded quickly as Takeda led him to a large white building with Greek inspired columns. He continued to gap as he was led through the spacious hallways to his room. 

        As Takeda pulled a key from his pocket and unlocked the door, one down the hallway burst open and a couple boys stumbled out, a blueish-green smoke following them. They turned to each other, laughed loudly, and bumped chests.

        “Well, here we are,” Takeda said as he finally got the door open. 

        He led the way in and Shouyou’s jaw dropped. He didn’t think he could get any more impressed, but indeed he could. 

        The room was spacious, with three doors leading off. A nice little kitchen area was to the side, a table ready for two near by. The rest of the room was dedicated to being living space. A couple large, plush chairs and comfy couch with a coffee table in front of it. A TV just in front of them, with a shelf full of VHS, DVD, Blu-ray, and various games. A large, very bright yellow radio, much like an old boombox, stood under a window and was almost covered by plants Shouyou couldn’t name off. Dozens of pictures of random people and things covered the walls and shared spaces with various nicknacks on every surface.

        “Most of this is your roommate’s,” Takeda told Shouyou. “But I’m sure she won’t mind moving some stuff to share space.”

        Shouyou’s eyes widened. “Wait, roommate?” he questioned. “She?!”

        “Well, things are a bit different here,” Takeda said, going a bit red and rubbing the back of his neck with one hand and fumbling to push up his glasses with the other. 

        “Oh, you’re heeeere!”

        Shouyou was almost knocked off his feet by the sudden arms that wrapped around him, only to be picked up and spun around. He mostly worried for his daughter. 

        “Oh my gosh, you’re adorable!”

        Before he even knew what was happening, Shouyou was back on his feet and a blur was speeding past him. Takeda had to steady the dizzy boy so he didn’t fall over.

        When he finally got bit bearings back, he noticed the girl flittering around near the ceiling. She held a large collection of what looked like random glass figurines and was placing them on a high shelf as she talked. 

        “I knew you were coming, of course,” she said, talking very quickly. “I didn’t know when, because if I hadn’t found out for myself, they never tell me  _ anything _ . Anyway, they didn’t tell me what you were going to be. Fae, wolf, vampire, boy, girl. I even had a zombie for a roommate once! Honestly, she was the sweetest thing, but you know, the smell got a bit much. The raw meat thing, too. And she decided she like the school of the undead better, so she moved. But because I didn’t get told anything, I had to guess about everything when I got stuff. We can always go get more, but, you know.”

         Once she placed the last figurine on the shelf, she zoomed towards Shouyou and did a twirl before landing on her feet and hiding her wings, her hands on her hips.

         Now that she wasn’t moving around so much, Shouyou could actually get a good look at her. She was only a few centimeters taller than him, but the fact was there that she was. Dark brown hair was pulled into a messy ponytail that was trying to be on top of her head, though it failed miserably. A few strands were left out, more likely having fallen out, and framed her face; blue-grey, almost silver, eyes hidden by thin rimmed black glasses. 

        She wore a white tank-top under a vibrant yellow jacket, which was falling off one of her shoulders, and a pair of jean shorts. 

        She held out her hand to Shouyou, smile bright. “Qaing Chunmei,” she said in introduction. “But please, call me Mei. Call me anything else and I’m liable to curse you.”

        Shouyou grinned brightly and took her hand, deciding he liked this one’s energy. 

        “Hinata Shouyou,” he returned. Takeda grinned at the two. 

        “You’ll be in good hands here,” Takeda promised. “Mei has been around for a while, and this isn’t her first trip to university. She’ll help you out.”

        Mei whined at Takeda’s words. “You’re gonna make me sound old if you keep talking,” she complained. She began pushing him out of the door. “I’ll take it from here, old man! Leave it to me!”

        “Call me if anything happens or you need anything,” Takeda demanded. 

        “Of course,” Shouyou promised. “I’ll be fine.” Takeda grinned. 

        “I know you will. Your parents would skin me alive if you weren’t.” With one last round of farewells, Takeda departed. 

        Mei turned and smiled at Shouyou. “Come on. I’ll help you unpack.”

        Shouyou followed Mei into one of the bedrooms, looking around the room as she pointed out the different things. Takeda had apparently informed her of Sora, so she’d immediately went and bought a crib, high chair, stroller, and a few baby toys. 

        And she’d made a mobile. Out of magic. Shouyou could even put his hand through it. It was basically like a blob of sky. A bunch of stars surrounded a glimmering silver crescent moon. 

        “Sora means sky, doesn’t it?” Mei asked as she hung the mobile up above the crib. Sora giggled gleefully from her place inside the crib and Mei cooed down at her. “I thought it fitting for this little one here.”

        Shouyou’s eyes crinkled happily at the sight of his happy daughter reaching out for the mobile.

        “Kageyama Sora, yeah,” he said. He began pulling out a couple of the pictures from his carry on that he’d brought from home. 

        “Oooo, is this one her sire?” Mei questioned, picking up an oval frame. 

        Inside was a picture of a frowning Tobio, sitting with his feet up on the couch with Shouyou asleep on his chest. Shouyou remembered hearing all about it when he woke up, how Koushi had snuck in with the camera and had taken the picture before Tobio could tell him not to.

        “Yeah, that’s Tobio,” Shouyou explained with a big smile. 

        “Hey, what about them?” Mei was holding up another frame, and Shouyou went on to tell her all about his family and friends. From Koushi and Daichi to Seako, Akiteru, Ryuu, Yuu, Chikara, Kei, Asahi, Hitoka and Kenma and all of the friends he made in high school and before.

        Before either of them realized it, the day had been spent on the floor, the pictures spread out between them. It was getting late, so Mei called in some pizzas. A regular pepperoni and some kind that Shouyou had never heard of before.

        “What exactly are these?” he asked, picking one of the toppings off of Mei’s pizza after feeding Sora and putting her to bed. Shouyou had refused Mei’s offer of a slice initially, but she looked so happy eating it, he was kinda regretting it.

        “Oh, that’s juniberry,” Mei said, indicating the purple- fruit? “There’s also carskel, mernt, and gresco sause.”

        Shouyou gave her an odd look. 

        “Stuff found in Padurea. Probably won’t have had any of it before.” Shouyou nodded with understanding as Mei leaned against the wall and grinned. “Most people don’t much like fruit on pizza, but it’s good, you know? Besides, juniberries aren’t  _ exactly  _ fruit. Anyway, try it. They taste better cold, personally. But they’re awesome on pizza, too.”

        Shouyou popped the topping into his mouth, immediately feeling a fizz like the bubbly of a soda. It was oh so very, very,  _ very  _ sweet and a slight undertone of sour just to balance it out- and it was the best thing Shouyou had ever eaten. Well, second only to the home cooking he’d gotten used to over the years. 

        Mei laughed at Shouyou’s reaction, falling on her side and clutching at her stomach.

        “I do think we’re going to get along very well, Hinata Shouyou.”

        “Yeah! This is gonna be great!”

        Time was an odd thing in Padurea. One moment it seemed that Shouyou was still settling into the place, the next he was starting his first day at Lună de Argint University. 

        The classes were all over the place. The school itself was large. Commotion and chaos was everywhere. If Mei hadn’t been around, Shouyou was sure he would have gotten lost. And he was twice as positive he wouldn’t have left Sora at the daycare. As it turned out, not even university students were exempt from the lottery. 

        “Only the ones who are residents of Padurea,” Mei assured him when he’d gone pale at the information. “And even they have to at least have gone through university at least once.”

        The first year of school was hectic, but made a bit easier by Takeda popping in every other weekend for the first couple of months until he was sure Shouyou and Sora were doing okay.

        For all its hecticness, Shouyou enjoyed the school and his classes. The lessons on magic were more designed for each student's needs and how best they learned and performed magic. Shouyou found his strength in runes.

        Basic Battle Magic 101, Home Ec Magic, Healing Devices 101, and Elemental Control were some of the more magical lessons taught at Lună de Argint. Potions, along with Wand & Rune Making, were two lab credits every student was required to take. And then all the regular “human” classes, like computer sciences and psychology, were in the school too. 

        There were various different after school sports that competed against other school in Padurea, some created by the Fae and some from Shouyou’s world, but the only one that interested him was volleyball. Obviously.

        However, he didn’t exactly have time to join any teams. He had to find work. With Mei’s help, he found a job at one of the coffee shops downtown called  Zbor Sigur. It was a quaint little place, and Shouyou’s boss, Ben, taught him how to enchant little runes onto the cups to send them to the correct customer.

        After semester finals just before spring break, Mei pulled Shouyou aside and told him she’d be gone for a couple weeks on the other side of the portal. Shouyou promised that he’d be  _ fine _ , and that Sora would be  _ fine _ , and that Mei could stop mothering.

        She’d gotten just as bad as Koushi about it.

        That night, Mei left with a stuffed yellow duffle and waved goodbye as she stepped through the portal. Shouyou sat in the silence of the apartment for a few moment, watching as Sora giggled as she tottered around the floor and getting used to the almost empty presence of it all without Mei’s bubbly personality everywhere. 

        Sora was learning to walk, even though she was a bit unsteady. It was the cutest thing in the world. Her black hair was growing out long and silky, and it often reminded Shouyou of Tobio.

        Only a couple days later, Shouyou was in the middle of his shift at the Zbor Sigur when someone loudly burst through the door.

        “Welcome to Zbor Sigur, what can I get for you- Mei?!”

        Mei was decked out in a very loud tank top, accompanied by a clashing skirt. Her yellow jacket was tied around her waist, and a pair of sunglasses rest on her forehead. Her skin was a good several shades darker and hair shades blonder, but it was undeniably Mei.

        “Shouyou! Oh, it feels like it’s been forever!” she exclaimed as she skipped over. 

        “I thought you said you’d be gone for two weeks,” Shouyou pointed out. 

        “I was,” Mei said, tilting her head. Realization dawned on her face and she pulled out her phone. “No one’s explained it yet, have they?” She pulled an app up and shoved her phone in Shouyou’s face. “Padurea and Muritor- er, your world- well, their times rarely correlate. While it’s only been- wait how long’s it been?” Mei pulled the phone back to her before holding it back out for Shouyou. “Right okay, two days  _ here _ , it’s been two weeks on the other side.”

        Shouyou paled. “A week… per… day?” he asked, his voice breaking. His mind was working too fast for him to process. 

_         How many days had passed since he left? How many weeks on the other side? Months? Years?! _

        Mei saw how Shouyou was panic and began freaking out. “Oh, no, no!” she exclaimed. “Doesn’t work like that!” She let out a strained laugh and pushed a couple buttons on her phone. “Okay, so, look here. See? Yesterday would have only been a couple minutes on the other side. To have come back yesterday, I would have had to immediately turned around as soon as I got there.”

        Shouyou didn’t completely understand it, but he nodded anyway. “So, um, how much has passed since I left?” he asked weakly.

        “Well, it was summer in California,” Mei said, tapping her chin. “Which was were I was. Hollywood is cool. Always wanted to be in the movies. Fae ones are so lame, though.”

        Almost a year since he’d left. A  _ year _ . How- How were things going to change,  _ be  _ changed, when he got back?

        “Hey, Mei, do the times ever completely match up?” Shouyou asked after he got his bearings again. 

        “Oh yeah,” Mei said with a nod. “The day you got here, actually. That was the last one.”

        “Do you think… you could see when the next one is?”

        Mei tilted her head down to her phone, punching in several things. Shouyou started fidgeting when Mei bit her lip and brought her face closer to her phone. Ben shouted at Shouyou to get back to work, so he quickly left Mei to do so.

        Every few moments, Shouyou would look over at her, but Mei hadn’t moved. Only her fingers, tapping wildly at her phone. The sun began going down and turned the inside of the shop crimson and orange. 

        Shouyou’s shift was finally over and only when he’d come out of the back room, wearing his brown coat, did Mei look up. 

        “Found it!” she cheered, smiling brightly. Shouyou breathed a sigh of relief as they stepped out of the shop and into the street, making their way to the daycare.

        “So, when is it?”

        “Two and a half years, roughly,” Mei told him. “But it’s going to be a tricky one. You’d have to get through the portal in ten minutes if you wanted to make it.” Mei shrugged as she put her arms behind her back. “It’s better than the one thirty years ago. You only had thirty seconds.” She shivered and Shouyou felt like doing the same. “But if you miss that one, it’ll be another twenty years before they match up.”

        Shouyou froze for a moment. 

        Mei turned back and grabbed his hand. “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure you get through that portal!” she claimed cheerily. 

        And Shouyou couldn’t help believing her. 

        Sora grew much faster than Shouyou would have liked. He missed her being so tiny she fit perfectly in the crook of his arm, but at the same time he didn’t miss waking up in the middle of the night to her screaming her head off. 

        She began walking and talking. Her favorite thing was to hold the picture of Tobio and say “Daddy?”

        Shouyou would always get a little teary eyed when she did that, just thinking about the fact that Tobio was missing _ all of it _ .

        But he would scoop up his small daughter, hold her close, and tell her “Yep, that’s your Daddy. Wanna hear a story?”

        Sora would always glow so brightly at the question. She would nod quickly, Shouyou would laugh, and he’d tell her stories of her Daddy until she fell fast asleep.

        Final exams came and went and then it was summertime. Shouyou and Mei sat at an outdoor table at a little restaurant while Sora chased after some glittering pink butterflies Shouyou had set off. 

        “I’ve been thinking…” Shouyou said, tapping his fingers nervously on the glass top of the table. Mei chuckled, looking over at him and grinning cheekily.

        “That’s dangerous.”

        Shouyou sent her a playful glare before his gaze turned back to Sora.

        “How am I going to make it to the portal?” he asked. “I mean, I’ve only just finished year on. I’ve got three more to go before I graduate.”

        “Have you ever thought about accelerated courses?” Mei asked. 

        Shouyou’s eyes widened. “They have those here?”

        Mei nodded, taking a sip from her ornate teacup. “Well, yeah,” she explained. “Actually, a lot of the students will probably be taking them the next couple of years to make the portal. Human and wolf transfers, mostly. But probably some fae and nymph students, too.”

        Shouyou looked down at his swirling drink. “Perhaps…”

        Mei grinned brightly. “Hey, I’ll even take ‘em with you! It’ll be fun,” she said. “Oh, and we’ve got invites to a party tonight!”

        “What? Really? Why?” Shouyou asked, surprised. 

        “Well, you’re pretty popular, you know,” Mei teased, knocking her shoulder into Shouyou’s. “Everyone likes you!”

        It wasn’t… that odd of a thing. Everyone Shouyou had met was friendly with him. Though the girls tended to give Mei a wide berth, or glared at her until they went away.

        “Hey, Mei, why  _ is  _ it that we share a dorm? Aren’t girls and boys usually separate?”

        “Oh. Well, it’s different Paudrea. We’re separated in sires and bearers. We can both have kids, so we can’t exactly get each other pregnant.”

        July thirteenth came and went, Sora turning a year old. Just another reminder for Shouyou that  _ Tobio was missing everything. _

        The next term of school was coming up fast. Shouyou and Mei pulled together and got all signed up for accelerated courses. Which meant they had to decide what they wanted their majors to me. 

        “Well, I haven’t gotten my phycology one yet,” Mei said from her hammock hung high up on the ceiling. Gold wings flickered under her every few moments. She turned to look over at Shouyou on his spot on the couch. “What about you?”

        Shouyou chewed on the end of his pencil. “I think I’m going to go into teaching,” he said. “Younger kids, if I can. Like- elementary school. I wouldn’t be opposed to daycare, though.”

        He turned and grinned up at Mei and they both laughed. 

        Things were going well. Until the week before school started. 

        Mei would uncharacteristically avoid everyone, going as far as to disappear from dawn ‘til dusk. 

        Shouyou found her one night, just sitting in one of the large round windows of the upper floors of the dorms. 

        “Mei?” he called. She didn’t look over at him. “Come on, Mei, talk to me. You’re avoiding  _ everyone _ . We’re all worried about you. Sora misses you,  _ I _ miss you. Tell me what’s wrong, please?”

        Instead of answering, Mei just let a piece of paper drift to the floor several feet down. Shouyou scrambled to pick it up, still on his knees as he read it.

        His eyes grew wide as he soaked in every word. He looked from the paper to Mei and back again. Then Shouyou took a deep breath and flew up to Mei, sitting across from her. 

        She looked out the window, her sorrowful feature illuminated by the silver moon.

        “Is this what you’ve been worried about?” Shouyou asked softly.

        Mei hummed. “Worried… isn’t exactly the right word,” she muttered, pulling her arms around her stomach and making herself seem so small when she pulled her knees close as well. It was wrong. She always had such a big presence. Was always everywhere all the time.

        Shouyou didn’t have a clue what to say, for once, so he waited for her to go on. 

        “This’ll be 643,” she said, briefly turning her head to look at Shouyou before breaking the contact and looking down. Shouyou placed the letter between them and she picked it up.

        He was slightly pale, his eyes wider than ever. “How- How old  _ are  _ you?” he asked before he could stop himself. 

        The question made Mei snort, relaxing just enough to look up at her friend. “Just under ten millennia,” she answered, pulling her knees closer. “I’ve been around a  _ long  _ time, Hinata Shouyou.”

        Shouyou’s mouth opened and closed like a fish as he tried to wrap his mind around the fact that  _ Mei was literally about a ten thousand times his age _ .

        Mei outright laughed and clutched at her stomach while Shouyou’s brain malfunctioned. 

        “It’s not that funny!” Shouyou exclaimed. 

        “My age? No. Your expression? Priceless!”

        Shouyou pouted, glaring at Mei. “So why’re you here?” he asked. “At university, I mean.”

        Mei shrugged, smiling slightly. It wasn’t as large as Shouyou was used to, but it was more than what it had been. “I get bored,” she admitted with a shrug. “So every twenty-five years or so I come back. See what’s new in the world. What more we’ve learned. It keeps off the burden of boredom.”

        “So, you’re like, immortal?” Shouyou asked, curious.

        Mei shrugged again. “Time’s different in Padurea,” she said. “The inhabitants don’t age if they don’t want do. Sickness, disease, a knife to the gut, a bullet to the head. Any of those things could still kill me. But I’m just… not going to die of old age. I haven’t aged a day for almost ten thousand years. I mean, you know, you could just- stop aging too, you know. But since you’re from Miritor, you’ve got this mindset that you’ve  _ got  _ to age, which is why Sora’s aging too. Just so you know. Half of the creatures here probably haven’t aged for a hundred years. Most of the ones as old as I am all work for the government.”

        Mei looked sad as she looked out the window. She let out a sad sigh.

        “I miss my family. Father would know what to do…”

        So many questions swirled around in Shouyou’s head. He took a deep breath to calm them, deciding on the one he thought might cheer Mei up. 

        “Tell me about them,” he offered. “Your- Your family. It- It helped me back when I came here last year.”

        Mei gave him a meek smile and turned so she could kick her feet off the ledge. Then she began telling him about her family. 

        About how she was half fae, half human. She’d been born in the human realm, Miritor, from her fae father in an old Japanese village. Both her human and fae had been killed- burned at the stake after her birth. The villagers thought they’d been conspiring with the devil, and that was how she’d been born. They’d tossed her in a basket with stones in the bottom and thrown it in the river, hoping to drown her.

        The stones hadn’t been heavy enough, however, and she floated down the river. No one was sure how long, but she knew she’d have been dead that day if her adoptive father hadn’t found her. 

        He was an old man even then, a lord who’d never had a child of his own. But the river had run through his lands, and he’d decided to take her in. She was named Qiang Chunmei: strong, beautiful, and pure. She grew up beloved by his people. She was first married when she was fourteen, and her first child by the time she was fifteen. 

        The man she married was kind and loved both her and their son. But he was killed in a great war, and Mei was forced from her home and even her child. She returned to the estate where she’d been first found. Her father was ailing, however, and did not last long. 

        Before he passed, he told Mei all he knew of her origins and the land known as Padurea. That he wished for her to go there and be safe from the world that burned around them. Mei traveled for a long time, trying to do as he asked. And one day, one of the old Seelie court appeared in front of her and took her to Padurea. 

        And there she stayed for many years, taking hold of and nurturing her power. And one day, she looked into a mirror with her power and found her son. She hastened from Padurea and back to Miritor, finding her son and his family. 

        But her son was an aging man, a few of his own children already grown with families of their own. But he forgave his mother for her disappearance, even when Mei did not for abandoning her only child. That day she vowed that she would always watch over she child’s children. Her descendants, theirs. Until the end of time.

        “I am still drawn for the lottery every now and then,” she said helplessly. “Even though I have made no vow to each of the children I birth, it makes it hard.” 

        Mei procured a small round clasped object from the pocket of her yellow jacket. She opened it to reveal a mirror. She circled a finger around the edge of it and the image inside swirled, instead reflecting something that was happening in the middle of the day.

        She smiled slightly at the image lighting up her face before handing it over to Shouyou. “This is my last descendant,” she told him. “I just- I feel it in my magic. This’ll be the last one.”

        Shouyou’s jaw dropped when he saw the image. Yamaguchi was standing in a gym, laughing and blushing at someone’s words.

        “I know him!” he exclaimed. “I- I know him! This is Yamaguchi Tadashi. We’ve been friends with him since we were kids.”

        He looked to Mei and she grinned brightly, and Shouyou could almost believe it. Both of their smiles were adorable and lively, even while Yamaguchi’s were more meek than Mei’s extravagant ones.

        Mei took the mirror back and stuffed it back in her pocket. “Well, the line’s been changed much over the years,” she claimed. “I mean, there’s hardly any magic in him, if any at all. Just enough to be drawn to other magical beings, it seems. For about a hundred years, they were all blonde. And now look at the family line. All dark haired and freckled.”

        Mei stood and flew off the ledge before turning to Shouyou, who stood with her. 

        “Will you come with me?” she asked suddenly. “Please? You can find out more about your mom there, too. You said you wanted to, right? Please, this may be the last time I do this. And I’m really just- I’m scared.”

        Shouyou put a hand on Mei’s shoulder, smiling the brightest smile he could muster.

        “Of course,” he told her. “What are friends for?”


	29. The Mistake

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seako's got a problem. Her solution? An unwilling Akiteru.

        Seako was not, perhaps, someone you’d think would have a hard time getting a date. Sure, she was a little rough around the edges, a reckless driver, and she bleached her hair for no other reason than she “wanted to”.

        But she was pretty and unconditionally kind. And she had big boobs. What more could a guy want?

        So why, of all days, was she single on Valentine’s Day?!

        And to make matters worse, she’d promised to go on a double date with a friend of hers and her newly acquired boyfriend. The whole point of a double date was  _ two couples _ , not  _ one couple and a third wheel _ .

        Seako screeched, pulling at her bleached blonde hair while a nine year old Hitoka and ten year old Ryuu peeked around the doorframe into her room. 

        Akiteru popped his head in above them, a toothbrush hanging out of his mouth and only wearing boxers and a tank top. 

        “You are really loud, ya know?” Akiteru claimed, foaming at the mouth as he took his toothbrush out. 

        “Shut uuuuuup!” Seako whined. “I can be loud if I want! I’m supposed to be meeting Nana and Yuuto in less than an hour and I don’t have a date!”

        “Go without one,” Akiteru stated. “God, you’re over dramatic.”

        “I can’t just go to a double date without a date!” she screeched, tossing a light pink pillow from her bed at Akiteru.

        “You got plenty of letters today, didn’t you?” Akiteru questioned, catching the pillow and shooing the younger kids away as he walked into the bedroom. He tossed the pillow back at Seako. “Ask one of them.”

        Seako groaned as she tossed the pillow back at Akiteru. “I can’t just take  _ someone I don’t know  _ out to a double date with my best friend!” she claimed. 

        Akiteru rolled his eyes and threw the pillow once again. It became a game, almost. Something to keep their hands occupied while they talked. “Why not?” he questioned. 

        Seako snorted. “For one, it would be the most awkward thing in the universe,” she stated, “and I’m not willing to be put in that position.”

        “Then what are you going to do about your little situation?”

        Seako furrowed her brows as she plopped onto her floor, crossing her legs and scrunching up the pillow until it was deformed and misshapen. Akiteru took the beanbag across from her. 

        “I don’t know,” she admitted. 

        They tossed the pillow back and forth a couple times, both thinking deeply about Seako’s problem. Akiteru was a lot of things; a pain in the ass, a kiss-up, a nerd, obnoxious, to just name a few. But one think he wasn’t was a bad brother. He wasn’t just going to let Seako deal with the problem on her own if it meant that much to her-

        Seako got a mischievous grin on her features as she caught the pillow once more, leaning forward to be in Akiteru’s personal space. 

        “ _ You _ could go with me.”

        Akiteru stared at Seako for a moment before bursting out laughing. “You’ve got to to be kidding me!” he exclaimed. “That’s- That’s a good one, Seako! But you honestly shouldn’t joke like that-”

        “I’m not joking.” Seako sat back on her heels, her eyes going just a bit wider than normal. “Look, I know I’m busty. I know most would find me a catch, and that I’m not particularly able in the field of self defense. But I don’t have a boyfriend, and I don’t have anyone- any guy, that is- that I could trust to not take advantage of me. Except  _ you _ , because you’re my brother. Nana already knows that you’re my brother, and it won’t matter if you’re miserable the whole night in front of her because she’ll think you’re sweet for not making me go alone. Please?”

        Akiteru took one look at Seako’s expression and ran a hand down his face while sighing. “Good god, what have I gotten myself into?” he complained. 

        Seako cheered before pushing him out of her room. “Great! We’ve only got half an hour, so you better go find something to wear! Preferably a suit.”

        And with that, Seako slammed the door in Akiteru’s face. Akiteru groaned and went to go ask one of his dads about borrowing one of their wedding suits to take Seako out to dinner. 

        Twenty five minutes later, both were dressed to the max and arriving at the designated restaurant. Seako had asked to drive, but that idea had been shut down fairly quickly (“You’ll kill us  _ all _ .” “Shut up, Aki!”) so Koushi had ended up driving them.

        “I’ll be back by nine,” he said as the two got out of the car. “Have fun.”

        “Thanks Pa, see you later,” Akiteru said, his voice level and almost emotionless. It was the moments he did that that people could understand how he and Kei were related. 

        Seako had already run off and was heading for the front door. Akiteru rolled his eyes and waved at Koushi as he ran after her. Koushi chuckled and drove off. 

        Akiteru finally caught up to Seako, pulling at her arm so she didn’t trip and fall or break one of her heels. Or both. Though it might have been humourous to watch, Seako would’ve gotten him back one way or another ten times worse. 

        As soon as they entered, a girl in a pretty blue dress turned and squealed when she saw Seako. She rushed over and hugged Seako tightly. 

        “I’m  _ soooo  _ glad you made it!” she exclaimed. She grinned up at Akiteru as well. “It’s nice to see you as well! I didn’t expect you to come.”

        He looked over to Seako and grimaced. “Didn’t have much of a choice,” he claimed. “Seako made me.”

        The boy came over and put a hand around Nana’s waist. He smiled politely at Akiteru and Seako. 

        “Ah, you must be the lovely Tanaka-chan,” he said. “Nana talks of nothing else.”

        Nana smacked his chest playfully, grinning though she turned back to the siblings. “This is Tanaka Seako and Tsukishima Akiteru,” she introduced. “And  _ this  _ is my lovely boyfriend, Ondera Yuuto.”

        “It’s a pleasure to meet you both,” Yuuto told them. 

        Their waitress came by and led them to their reserved table. A dozen roses sat as a centerpiece, and various candles lined the back of the booth surrounding the circular table. 

        The girls slid in, the boys sitting on the outside. After placing their orders, the talk turned to casual conversation to get to know one another. After a while, it turned out that Yuuto played volleyball and shared the same passion as Akiteru, though they played for opposing teams. 

        At some point during the main course, Akiteru got so animated in his play-by-play of the last volleyball match Karasouno had played (one he hadn’t been able to be in, sadly), he ended up knocking a red sauce onto his  _ very  _ white shirt. 

_         Dad’s gonna kill me!  _ He quickly began dabbing at it, but only seemed to be spreading it. Seako rolled her eyes and sighed, taking a cloth napkin and dabbing it in her water before cleaning up the shirt. It ended up a little pink in the end, but it wouldn’t stain, thankfully. 

        Akiteru gave Seako a relieved smiled. “Thanks,” he said, breathing a sigh of relief. 

        Yuuto grinned over the top of his cup at the two. “You seem like a pretty good girlfriend,” he claimed. 

        Seako spluttered. “Wha- I’m- I’m not his girlfriend,” she said, her eyes bulging. 

        Akiteru blanched at the accusation. “We’re- I’m- It’s definitely not like that.”

        Yuuto tilted his head and smirked. “Well, maybe not now, but I assume that you two  _ like  _ each other. “

        Seako and Akiteru looked at each other and wrinkled their noses. “Oh my god,  _ no _ ,” Seako said with a huff. “Never.”

        “She’s the worst.“

        “His feet stink. And he never cleans out his gym bag.”

        “She plays the drums way too loud when I’m trying to study.”

        “He talks with his mouth full, _all the time_.”

        “She burps louder than any number of the guys on the team.”

        “We could never date,” they both agrred. Yuuto looked between the two of them, still sceptical. Nana was red trying to hold in her laughter. 

        “And the fact that we’re siblings kinda makes things complicated,” Akiteru added offhandedly, waving his hand. 

        “Agreed,” Seako said. “Incest is gross.”

        The blood rushed from Yuuto’s face. “You’re siblings? But… I thought…”

        “Wait, you can’t tell?” both Akiteru and Seako asked, tilting their heads in unison.

        Yuuto set his glass down, turning to Nana while smacking his lips a bit. “I think, um, I think I’m just- I’m gonna go.”

        And with that, he ran off quicker than the wind. Finally, Nana broke out in loud laughter. She doubled over onto the table, slapping it rigorously. 

        “Oh, that was brilliant,” she weezed as soon as she’d caught her breath enough. “But I think- I think you broke my boyfriend.”

        Seako and Akiteru looked at each other before turning back to Nana. “Probably.”

        (It would happen, years later, when Shouyou came out about dating Tobio and Hitoka Kenma. 

        “Wait, I thought you two were together?” the boy asked, looking confused between the two. 

        Shouyou looked in disgust between the pale Hitoka and the confused boy. “Ew! No! She’s my sister!”)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Firstly; I'm sorry it's been a while! Secondly; this was meant to be the Valentine's chapter, but I got sick and couldn't finish it. But now it's out and done. Lastly; I'm almost done with the second part of Hinata's college years! It should be up within the next couple of days!


	30. Beneath the Moon (Part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mei and Shouyou go to the capitol, they meet some interesting people, Mei has a baby, the remaining school years go by quickly, and suddenly it's time to go home.

        Stea de Aur, the capital of Padurea, was a fantastic place. An odd mixture of both modern and olden architecture, but wonderful nonetheless. Some stood like the skyscrapers back home, while others were built into trees, while still others had trees growing around them, enveloping the building.

        White ash trees and black juniberry trees lined the streets, fae flying up in the air and walking on the ground. The one difference between Stea de Aur and the university town was  _ everyone had wings _ .

        Back in the university town, just about everyone walked. Sure, some had wings or carpets or seven mile boots or winged heels they preferred to use, but when you walked, it made you seem that much closer to your peers and you fit in that much more.

        And after so long being around people practically glued to the ground, having almost no one there seemed  _ wrong _ .

        “This is the place,” Mei said, stopping in front of a building. “They’ll, um, well, they provide rooms while you’re here. But, uh, don’t eat any of the food.”

        Shouyou gave Mei a bewildered look and Mei ran a hand through her hair, messing it up as she let out a pained sigh. 

        “It’s- Well- Have- Have you heard the human’s take on fae?” Mei asked. Shouyou nodded.

        “A bit, yeah…”

        Mei bit her lip. “Well, you see, it’s like- like the whole, you know, can’t eat food from the faerie realm unless you want to be stuck there? Except it only counts in Stea de Aur? And it only means you’ve chosen to become a resident. You can fill out the paper work to become one as well, but eating any food from here will automatically make you a resident,” she explained. “Meaning you’re liable to all of Padurea’s laws, punishments, customs…”

        Shouyou’s eyes widened in realization and Mei trailed off. 

        “So…”

        “Exactly. Which is why I put together a pack full of food for you and Sora.”

        Mei began hovering above the ground and motioned for Shouyou to follow her into the building. It was a cozy little place up at the top, built from being carved out of the tree. Everything was super smooth, with rounded edges and  varying colors of flowers growing out of small cracks, giving it a homey feel. 

        Mei flew down the hallway they’d flown through the window of and assuredly towards a deep brown door with gold numbers on it.

        “I’ve used this same room every time I’d had to come here,” she explained as she pushed the door in. 

        Shouyou gazed in awe at the room. It was bathed in a golden light, making all of the wooden furniture glow in the fading sun. The dining table, all of the chairs, the cupboards, the shelves. A small wood stove actually made of wood. There was a bed in the corner with an intricately carved bed frame carved  _ from  _ the wall, and a crib of equal splendor- though that one was just built into the wall in a way so it could rock.

        Surprisingly, it didn’t seem all that dusty from a long time of disuse.

        “Oh, they clean it before and after its occupants come to use it,” Mei explained, making Shouyou blush at the thought that he’d said it out loud.

        She flittered about the room, checking in the cupboards (some of which held wooden bowls and plates, others which held food) and looking at the objects on the shelves.

        “Oh, I forgot I’d left this here!” she exclaimed in silent awe, holding the tiny object close.

        “It’s a… It’s a beautiful room,” Shouyou said, for lack of something better. Mei turned and smiled at him, finally setting back down on the ground. 

        “Well, given it’s been mine for a long while, I’d hope so,” she stated jokingly. “Erm, sorry I didn’t say this earlier, but we’ll probably end up sharing a bed. I’ve only got the one. It’ll only be a week or so, but if you’re uncomfortable with it I can pull out my hammock!”

        Shouyou thought back to all the times he’d ended up sharing a bed with Hitoka and Kei when one of them had had a nightmare. How they’d shared a room for  _ years  _ without thinking anything of it.

        Shouyou grinned. “I’m good,” he promised. 

        A sharp, cheery whistle sounded and Mei rushed to the window. Sora began wiggling in Shouyou’s arms until he put her down. She began toddling around the room, leaving Shouyou with nothing to do with his hands.

        “What’s that?”  he asked as Mei took a semi-thick package from a rather large looking parrot with an extremely thin beak.

        Mei hummed as she opened the package, her wings seemingly moving on their own as they brought her to sit on her table. “This is who’s going to sire the child,” Mei explained, holding out one of the papers. 

        In the upper left corner was the picture of an attractive male. Silver hair falling to his shoulders, bright green eyes, and a kinda meek smile. He looked sweet. The rest of the paper talked about various things about him, but there was a surprising lack of  _ name _ .

        “Why isn’t there a name on here?” Shouyou asked, looking up at Mei. She seemed engrossed in the rest of the papers in the packet.

        “Oh? Well, it’s unnecessary for most. It’s like- you’re either- why do humans call it, artificially inseminated?- or it’s a one night stand,” she muttered, barely intelligible as she looked at the work. “The possibility of ever seeing each other is slim, generally so is even speaking the same language, and it’s something everyone here goes through, so we generally don’t think anything of it. The heads usually assign those who’ll be compatible enough to make strong children. Some like to get to know their partners before the deed is done, but, I haven’t done that since number 22…”

        “Why not?” Shouyou questioned. 

        “Huh?” Mei asked, shocked and bewildered. “What do you mean  _ why- _ ”

        Shouyou’s face set and he folded his arms. “Don’t you want someone to spend your life with?” he demanded. “Something  _ after  _ this promise you made has been completed?”

        Mei was silent. She blinked. Then blinked again. Shouyou began tapping his elbow, anxious for Mei to say something. 

        “I- Of course I do,” she said weakly, her voice on the verge of breaking. “But- I- I was  _ married _ , I had a  _ life _ , before this. I can’t just- just forget that. Forget all of it and- and move  _ on- _ ”

        “You don’t have to,” Shouyou told her, placing a hand on her shoulder. “It was just- It was a suggestion. I want you to be happy. You’re my friend, Mei.”

        Mei nodded, though she didn’t meet Shouyou’s eyes. The entire event seemed to still be stressing her out. 

        “Do you want me to make dinner?”

        “Um,  _ no _ . The last time I let you do that, you almost burned the kitchen down.”

        “You are  _ just  _ as bad.”

        “Excuse me? I’m  _ worse _ .”

        “Thaaaat’s not a good thing.”

        Mei’s appointment came two days later. Shouyou offered to go with Mei down to the lower levels where it’d be done, but she promised that she’d be fine. 

        He ended up going with her anyway and waiting with her in the steril waiting room, Sora on his lap and playing with a stuffed animal. It reminded him of the days he’d spent in the doctor’s office while pregnant with Sora. The thought itself, and why Mei was there in the first place, made Shouyou place a hand on his stomach mournfully.

        Mei looked over with a worried look. “You okay?” she asked. 

        Shouyou jumped from the suddenness of the question and turned to Mei with a bright smile. “Yeah, I’m fine!” he assured her. “Just… It was kinda difficult, and I missed playing volleyball with everyone, but I liked being pregnant.”

        The statement made Mei laugh. “Well, you’ve got a honey waiting for you back home, don’t ya?” she said, prodding his stomach. “I’m sure he won’t mind another one if he stuck with you through the first.”

        Shouyou couldn’t help but laugh as Mei’s pokes tickled him. Finally he managed to bat her away. “I want to let him get to know Sora first,” Shouyou explained. “Once we get back, I want them to get to know each other.”

        “Sora pretty much knows him already,” Mei pointed out. “She doesn’t go to bed until she gets to say goodnight to his picture, and you talk about him  _ all the time _ .”

        Shouyou let out an offended gasp, placing a hand over his heart. “I do  _ not _ !” he exclaimed.

        Mei snorted before letting out a giggle into her hand. “You kinda do.”

        A group of important looking people in business clothes passed in front of Mei and Shouyou, lead by a woman with hair the identical color of Shouyou’s. The people following her all buzzed and talked, trying to give her information or talk at once. 

        Shouyou pulled Sora closer to his chest and she fussed angrily at being unable to fully play with her toy.

        Mei followed Shouyou’s gaze and landed on the woman.

        “Mei, who is- who is she?” Shouyou asked tentatively, his voice quiet and unsure. 

        “That’s Sakamoto Hanako,” Mei explained. “She heads the Childcare Department here. The whole… sorting couples to have children together. Finding families in Miritor to drop the children at. I mean, some like to do their own research. But the world is different these days than it was in the old days. It’s… safer, to do it this way. For the kids, mostly. Lady Sakamoto takes care of all that.”

        Shouyou gulped. “You don’t think- maybe she might be-”

        “We can always go ask,” Mei told Shouyou. “The files are usually open to whoever wants them. And they’re kept track of by old magic, so they’re sure to be right.”

        Shouyou curled in tighter. “I’m- I’m far too nervous,” he mumbled. “I don’t think I can.”

        “Want me to do the talking for you?” Mei asked. Shouyou nodded and Mei pulled him along after her. 

        They headed up to the desk Mei had signed in at. Shouyou stopped a bit back and waited while Mei talked to the man behind the desk. 

        “And what can I do for you, Qiang-chan?” he asked.

        “The file of Sakamoto Hanako’s child eighteen years ago,” Mei said. “If you don’t mind.”

        “A dropped?” he asked as he typed in his computer, a knowing smile on his lips. Mei nodded, but Shouyou couldn’t see the expression on her face. “Not a lot of them come here anymore. Half of them are changelings these days, ya know?”

        He turned in his spinning chair just as a yellow file folder flew threw the air at him at incredible speeds. He held out the file to Mei with a grin. “It’s a copy. Take it and enjoy.”

        Mei nodded and turned back to Shouyou. “Do you want me to open it?” she asked. Shouyou was about to nod just as a nurse in a flowing white uniform stepped out of a door.

        “Qiang Chunmei,” she called. 

        Mei’s face fell. “I’d better go. Um, if you are, I’m sure you can arrange a meeting. Just- talk to Rito here. He’ll get it set up for you.”

        She handed off the file and fluttered off. Shouyou went back to his seat and set Sora on the floor. She giggled sharply and began running around with her arms out, like she could fly. Shouyou had found, however, Sora didn't have wings. One of the visits to the clinic back in the university town had proven useful in finding out she had the body of a wolf- the female bears children, could turn into a wolf, and all that- but she had the powers of a fairy- they weren’t able to tell what power she’d been born with, but they promised soon. The best of both worlds- except the wings.

        Shouyou watched Sora in amusement, and she giggled when she caught his eye. Making sure she’d be fine for just a moment, Shouyou opened the file. It had recorded various things about the birth, everything that had gone on and such, complication (though there’d been none). It even had the names of the sire and bearer. Both full blooded fae, but Shouyou didn't care about that.

        He flipped to the next page and the file fell to his lap. Staring back at him was his own image. He hesitantly reached out for the picture, only stopping when Sora came over and put her hands on Shouyou’s lap, standing on her tiptoes to peer into his face. 

        “Papa sad?” she asked, tilting her head. 

        Shouyou blinked for a moment before laughing a bit. He put the file into the chair to his side and picked Sora up. “No, honey, Papa isn’t sad,” he told her, poking her nose. 

        Sora scrunched up her nose as she leaned against Shouyou. Then she looked up. “Papa… scared?” she tried again. 

        Shouyou began running a hand through her hair, reminded of the same silkiness Tobio’s had. “Kinda, baby girl,” Shouyou admitted. Sora nodded as though she understood, but her eyebrows stayed scrunched showing she really didn’t. Shouyou laughed. “It’s a bit more complicated than that.”

        Shouyou stood up and, almost forgetting the file on the seat, made his way over to the desk. Rito looked up as Shouyou neared.

        “Ah, you must be Lady Sakamoto’s dropped kid,” he said, a small smirk gracing his lips. Shouyou paused for a moment before nodding. “Wanna get a meeting?” Shouyou nodded again. Rito’s grin stretched further as he typed on his computer. “You’re in luck, little man. She hasn’t got another meeting for half an hour. You can head right up.”

        Shouyou gulped as Rito explained the route Shouyou needed to take to get to Lady Sakamoto’s office. 

        “It’s been awhile since one of you has come to her,” he claimed as Shouyou turned to leave. “Most go looking for their bearer. Anyway. Good luck to you.”

        The hallway leading up to Sakamoto Hanako’s room was dim. Not dark, not blinding. Just enough to make Shouyou apprehensive. Sora walked by Shouyou, gripping his hand tightly as they went.

        Finally, he stopped in front of the doorway and just- stood there. He thought about turning back. About not knocking, about not meeting this woman who was his mother but not in the sense he’d been raised on. She was his  _ sire _ . 

        But that was something. And he’d regret it for the rest of his life if he didn’t.

        So he took a deep breath and knocked on the door. 

        “Enter,” came the call from inside.

        Shouyou opened the door and stepped into the office. It had a grey/navy-blue color scheme to it, though it didn’t look boring or drab at all. Lady Sakamoto, as everyone else took to calling her, sat behind her desk, furiously scribbling at a paper.

        Hesitantly, Shouyou took a couple more steps into the room and shut the door. She still didn’t look up. He cleared his throat.

        “My- My name is Hinata Shouyou-” he began, and only then did Lady Sakamoto look up. 

        “I remember you,” she said. “Your transfer scripts to go to Lună de Argint passed my desk. You’re a dropped one from Muritor.”

        Shouyou gulped and gripped Sora’s hand tighters. “Um, ye-yes. One of-”

        But she’d already gone back to her work and was writing away. Shouyou deflated. 

        “I, um, I can see you’re busy. So I, uh, I’ll just- I’ll just go.” Shouyou turned and picked Sora up and held her close, feeling the tears welling up in his eyes. He reached out for the doorknob.

        “Are you happy?” The question had Shouyou taken by surprise. He turned around to Lady Sakamoto. She was still writing away. 

        “What?” he said, confused. 

        “Are you happy in the home I placed you in?” she questioned. “Sawamura Daichi and Sugawara Koushi, werewolves, wasn’t it?”

        “Y-Yes,” Shouyou finally said, wiping at his eyes. “They’re my dads.”

        “Are you happy with them? Have they treated you well?” she asked, pausing in her movements. 

        “Oh, very well!” Shouyou hurriedly exclaimed. “They’re- They’re the best! I- I love them so much, and they’re just- they’re just so kind and they love all of us unconditionally and- and- and I don’t know what I would have done without them. I’m- I’m happy there. I have been, always.”

        “I’m glad,” Lady Sakamoto said, going back to writing. “I’m not supposed to be biased, you understand, but I always try to find the best homes for the children I sired. I would hate to have made a miscalculation, having forgoed a glamour on you when dropping you.” Finally, she set the pen down and stood. 

        Shouyou finally got a good look at his mother’s eyes. They weren’t the same color as his- it must have been his father he got the trait from, then- but instead an intense blue. Her face was hard and lined from overwork and stress, but something in her person just screamed that she wouldn’t change her job for the world.

        “You must understand, Hinata Shouyou, that I did not carry you,” she stated, to which Shouyou nodded. “I did not raise you. I know you only by blood and by name. I carry no affections for you or your livelihood, but you have a family that does. One that I took special care to find for you. I do hope you’re not giving that up.”

         Shouyou quickly shook his head. “No, never!” he exclaimed. “It’s just, well… I never had a mother. And I… just wanted a chance to meet her, even if that’s all I ever did.”

        Lady Sakamoto nodded. “Reasonable,” she admitted. “And since this is our first, and quite possibly last, meeting, I do hate to rush it, but I must be heading to my next meeting. I am due in the lounge by the end of the day to give seed myself.”

        Shouyou nodded and allowed himself to be ushered from the room. He began walking off in the direction of the waiting room after a short goodbye to Lady Sakamoto while she headed off in the other direction. 

        “Oh, and, Hinata Shouyou?” Shouyou turned back. Lady Sakamoto smiled at him, her eyes crinkling. “You daughter. She is beautiful.”

        And then she was gone. But Shouyou felt a weight lifted off his chest. 

        He had met her. His mother. And he… wasn’t  _ sad  _ that she wouldn’t continue to be in his life. He’d done what he’d set out to do once he got to Padurea, and he had a whole family waiting for him once he got back home.

        Shouyou arrived at the waiting room just as Mei came out of the back offices. 

        “And with that, we’ll be going back to the school tomorrow,” she said, clapping her hands together. Shouyou tilted his head. 

        “Don’t they have to make sure it stuck…?”

        Mei shook her head. “Magic, Hinata Shouyou,” she deadpanned. “Guaranteed fertility.”

        “Oh. Okay.”

        The next day, they were on the bullet train back to Lună de Argint’s university town. And then classes had begun again in a whirlwind of movement. 

        Shouyou’s homework from each class doubled with the accelerated classes, though Mei seemed to take it all in stride. Until her mood swings began. 

        She could be peacefully confident one moment and sobbing how she was going to fail the next. And the morning sickness, that lasted all day, didn’t help matter any. Shouyou would be up at all hours in the bathroom with her and holding her hair back as she puked all of the contents of her stomach into the toilet. 

        By the fourth month, Mei was miserable and looked twice as bad. She barely slept, from all the schoolwork and the stress from the thought of having the baby and of course the actual baby in her stomach itself. 

        Shouyou finally realized what everyone had gone through when he’d been pregnant himself. 

        It was sometime in the sixth month when things began changing. Rapidly.

        Shouyou had just come back from classes and picking Sora up- Mei hadn’t been able to attend hers that day because she caught the fae form of the flu that came with being  _ really  _ old- when a shimmering butterfly appeared on the other side of the window. 

        Since starting the accelerated courses, Shouyou had gotten used to seeing the little pieces of magic. Teachers used them to send notes or assignments to students who missed classes, classmates used them to talk with group members when working on group projects and they didn’t have their phone numbers. They were also often used to send love letters- well, more  _ messages _ , but that's besides the point.

        A few of Shouyou’s classes were very into group project work, so Shouyou often found himself the receiver of the butterflies. 

        “I’ll get it,” Mei said as she heaved herself out of her chair and Shouyou set Sora down on the couch and headed to his room to put his and Sora’s bags away. 

        After tossing the bags on his bed, Shouyou turned out of the room. Mei opened the window and the butterfly fluttered in. It went about the room for a moment before landing on Mei’s outstretched finger. 

        Mei listened intently to the message Shouyou couldn’t hear, as it wasn’t meant for him. Her face was almost blank for the first couple minutes, but then it morphed into something like confusion. 

         And then she had to grip onto the couch to brace herself, only to sink into it with a wide eyed look on her face. 

         “Mei?” Shouyou prompted, going to her carefully. “What is it?”

         Mei closed her hand around the butterly, looking down to her lap. “He… wants to meet,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. “His name is Alec Swanson and he wants to meet. He wants to be a part of the baby’s life. If I- If I don’t want it, he doesn’t want me to drop the baby. He wants it.”

        Mei looked up to Shouyou, her eyes wide. 

        “What do I do?”

        The look of pure terror on Mei’s face had Shouyou wanting to snatch up the butterfly and smother it to smithereens. However, he knew that wouldn’t help anything. 

        Instead, Shouyou took her hand and sat by her. “You’ll do…” he said, his voice catching; he squeezed her hand “...whatever you need to do.”

        The request had asked Mei to meet him-  _ Alec _ , Shouyou berated himself- in three days time. Mei fretted the entire night and much of the next day. By the next night, she’d calmed down almost fearfully; she seemed a bit  _ too  _ calm for Mei. 

        The day Alec had requested to meet Mei, Shouyou came home from work to hear a loud crash come from Mei’s room. Shouyou hesitantly pushed open the door. 

        Mei was going through her closet rapidly while Sora sat on the bed, mindlessly playing with a couple dolls she’d gotten from some of her fans around the school. (Who couldn’t be in love with the tiny child?)

        “Mei?” Shouyou questioned. “What… What’s going on?”

        Mei whipped around and took in a steadying breath when she noticed that it was only Shouyou. But then was was up in the air and doing a flying form of pacing Shouyou saw her do only on the nights right before they had exams. 

        She must have been really worried. 

        “What’s wrong?” Shouyou asked. 

        “I don’t have anything to wear!” Mei wailed as she fell onto her backside on her bed. Sora bounced a bit and crawled over to lay her ear on Mei’s ever growing belly. 

        “You’ve got loads of things to wear,” Shouyou countered. “We just did laundry a couple days ago-”

        “But they’re all maternity clothes!” the girl whined, pounding her fists on the bed. “Not anything I can wear on a date!”

        Shouyou blinked before coming to sit at Mei’s side. “Woah, woah, woah,” he said. “When did this become a date?”

        Mei frowned at Shouyou, turning so she was propped up on one arm. Her belly made it a bit more difficult, but she’d been through countless pregnancies and had managed to perfect it. 

        “It’s  _ always  _ been a date,” she proclaimed. “Cute little coffee shop at sunset? With picturesque scenery and how nervous he sounded- Gods above, Hinata Shouyou! It’s  _ always  _ been a date!” Mei whined again, taking one of her furry yellow pillows and hiding her face with it. “And I have  _ nothing  _ to wear!”

        “I think you look fine,” Shouyou claimed, tilting his head. It only earned a pillow to his face and a pout from Mei.

        “But you’re gay and a boy and you don’t know what it’s like,” she grumbled. 

        Shouyou opened his mouth to argue but then thought better of it. Mei was quite the character, after all, and he hadn't been able to win an argument against her since she was three months pregnant (it only ended in tears on both sides when he did). Instead he shook his head and sat the pillow in his lap. Sora eventually got tired of all of Mei’s movement and came to sit on the pillow. 

        “My sister Seako always said to dress casual, even a bit watered down, for a guy you’re not sure about,” he explained. “That way, if they’re still super ecstatic to see you and say you look nice, they’re obviously there for  _ you  _ and not your looks.” He chuckled uncomfortably and scratched his chin. “Though, obviously, you’re going for the baby…”

        Mei smiled at him before jumping up and giving Sora a quick kiss on the forehead and ruffling Shouyou’s hair. 

        “Thank you!” she squealed. “I think I can do this!”

        She pulled on her yellow jacket and took a pose, making Sora laugh and Shouyou giggle. Mei saluted them. 

        “Well, I’d better get going,” she told Shouyou. “Can’t keep him waiting after I’ve decided to go and all.”

        Shouyou waited for a while on the couch, coloring with Sora. But half an hour turned into a full hour, then into two. The sun set and Sora began getting fussy for dinner, so Shouyou got started on it. 

        A couple more hours had passed, and Shouyou had bathed Sora, read her a bedtime story, and gotten her to sleep. He’d even completed one of his homework assignments before Mei came home. 

        And she seemed to be floating on air. Which Shouyou had seen her do. All the time. Literally. But this time it was figuratively. 

        “What happened?” Shouyou asked when Mei finally came in through the front door. 

        Mei gave him a blissful smile. “He was… amazing.”

        Mei and Alec, it seemed, had hit it off right away, and Alec started frequenting the apartment. Because he also just _happened_ to go to their school. Totally coincidental. At first, as Mei had confided in Shouyou, she wasn’t so sure about him. Obviously, she was okay with giving up the baby since she usually dropped them in the first place. But he was nice, kind. 

        A gentleman, though energetic and easily kept up with Mei. He truly was a good match. 

        Any future relationship was put on hold as finals crept up on all three of them. They often held study session in either of their apartments, sometimes joined by Alec’s roommate. 

        The semester ended, followed by a couple of week break, then the next year began. It was halfway through the next semester when Mei went into labor. 

        They were in their Advanced Practical Magic class, doing some practice outside. Mei was nine months pregnant, and dueling another student to a draw. Neither was backing down, not until it was called to stop. People swarmed both duelers, chatting happily and excitedly about the match.

        It was only when Mei let out a grunt of pain and fell down that anyone was aware that something was off. 

        Shouyou immediately pushed through to her side. 

        “Hospital,” she said with a breathless grunt. “Hospital  _ now _ . The baby’s coming.”

        The teacher shooed the students away and helped Mei get to the waiting ambulance. Shouyou rode with her, calling Alec and telling him that the baby was on the way. 

        Shouyou sat in the waiting room while Mei was taken to one of the rooms. Alec arrived only moments later. Shouyou updated Alec on what was going on and Alec took a seat next to Shouyou. Only to get back to his feet moments later and begin pacing. 

        “What’s wrong?” Shouyou questioned and Alec gave him a nervous smile. 

        “It’s- It’s just kinda hitting me now, you know? That I’m about to be a father,” he claimed, his hands shaking. 

        Shouyou laughed, trying to muffle the sound but not seceding. “You’re handling it better than I ever did,” he claimed. “Tobio, too. We both freaked out every other night at the thought of being parents.”

        Alec calmed down a bit as Shouyou went on to explain different little things that had happened throughout his own pregnancy. They’d talked about a lot, but it was the first time Shouyou had mentioned Tobio to Alec. 

        Shouyou gave a small smile at the end of his explanation. “And now, after it all, we’ve got our little Sora,” he said. He hummed a bit, that longing feeling he got, especially at night, when he missed his family. “It’s been a while since I’ve seen Tobio. Any of my family.” Then Shouyou grinned brightly. “But at the end of the year, I get to go home.”

        Alec smiled back at him softly. “I’m happy for you.”

        “But today is your big day!” Shouyou exclaimed. “You’re gonna be a dad! Don’t let me bring you down!”

        Alec laughed while he shook his head. “Don’t worry about me, I’m fine,” he claimed. “Besides, you’ve helped. Really.”

        A nurse came into the waiting room and looked down at her clipboard. “Hinata Shouyou? Alec Swanson?” Shouyou and Alec looked at each other before standing in unison. The nurse nodded at them and gestured them to follow. “Please, come with me. She’s ready to see you now.”

        Alec rushed after the nurse, a nervous energy in his feet, Shouyou right on his heels. 

        They were led to Mei’s room by the nurse. The doctor was just finishing her talk up with Mei. Mei let out a chuckle and the doctor nodded and smiled as Alec and Shouyou entered. 

        “Hi,” Mei said, sweat trickling down her face but she was wearing a bright smile. “Alec, you wanna come hold your baby?”

        Alec immediately rushed to Mei’s side and took the baby wrapped in a light blue blanket. Shouyou couldn’t help but smile at them, thinking about how much like a family they looked. 

        The doctor was talking, saying “The child will need to stay with his bearer for the next three weeks, but we have been informed of the circumstances and-”

        But the two were far more focused on the new little life in their arms than the words the doctor uttered. Finally, she seemed to realize that and gave them an amused smile. 

        “What name shall I put down for him?” she asked. 

        “Katsuro,” Alec said quickly. “Ah, that’s Katsuro Qiang.”

        “Qiang?” Mei asked, confused. Alec grinned at her softly, a look so full of love. A kind one hadn’t realized yet.

        “I want him to have a bit of his mother, because she’s a marvelous woman.” Of course, the phrase was practically meaningless. Katsuro had the same dark hair and bright eyes as Mei, and now too shared her name. But nonetheless, it made Mei beam, and that was alright.

        Katsuro joined the little apartment just a few days later, and Sora was enamored. Which was the cutest thing ever, as she proclaimed herself his big sister. 

        It got a bit of a nuisance sometimes, though Shouyou remembered clearly when Mei put up with Sora waking up in the middle of the night. But not only did the crying wake Shouyou and Mei up at night, it also woke up Sora and not getting enough sleep made her cranky.  _ All day _ .

        Even  _ milk  _ couldn’t satisfy her, and she insisted on clinging to Shouyou and cried relentlessly the entire day if Shouyou had to leave her at the daycare to go to class or work. 

        But as the weeks wore on, Mei started taking Katsuo over to Alec’s more and more often they’d spend the night, giving Shouyou and Sora their rest. Alec and Mei got ever closer, almost just like Shouyou had predicted. 

        It wasn’t even a surprise when Alec asked Mei out a few weeks before finals crept up on them. And crept up on them they did. 

        Finals arrived what seemed too quickly, keeping everyone on their toes. And after the finals, came waiting for the results. They came a week after the last day of classes of the semester, effectively the end of Shouyou’s time at the school, which resulted in a stressful week. 

        Shouyou was in his room, packing up his and Sora’s things, when he heard the cry come from the front room. He rushed out of his room, Sora toddling after him.

        “We got them!” Mei squealed, clutching three yellowed envelopes in her hands. Alec and Shouyou rushed her and Mei excitedly handed them their results. 

        Shouyou ripped opened his envelope and carefully read his results. They weren’t the best grades, but they were close enough and Shouyou passed. 

        Slowly, his jaw dropped before stretching into a grin. “I passed,” he said, looking up. “I passed! I got through!”

        Mei squealed, throwing herself at Shouyou and wrapping her arms around him. “Congratulations!” she exclaimed. “I mean, I kinda have to redo some of my classes next semester, but I didn’t do  _ too  _ bad.”

        Alec gave Shouyou a proud smile. “Good job, Shouyou.”

        Shouyou turned to Sora who immediately ran into his arms. Sora cheered excitedly while throwing up her arms. Shouyou laughed and nuzzled her cheek with his nose. Sora laughed as well and wrapped her arms around Shouyou’s neck. 

        “Papa happy?” she asked. 

        Shouyou grinned. “ _ Very _ happy.”

        Mei cleared her throat and Shouyou turned around. Mei held out a dark brown box to Shouyou. “This is, ah, your graduation present,” she explained. “Because, since, well, you’re not going to be here for the ceremony.”

        Shouyou took the box hesitantly and sat down on the couch, Sora in his lap. He slowly opened the lip and gaped at the object sitting in velvet. A key. An old fashioned golden one, with a large handle made of complicated swirls. 

        Shoyou looked up to Alec and Mei, a warm feeling spreading through his chest.

        “Well, you normally need a key that fits you,” Mei explained. “And it comes to you when the time is right. But I found this in a shop while out with Alec, and I couldn’t think of anyone other than you when I saw it.”

        Shouyou held the key close to his chest, smiling at them endearingly. “Thank you, both of you,” he told them. 

        “You’ll have to come visit us anytime,” Mei insisted. Alec nodded his agreement. 

        “Of course,” he claimed. 

        Shouyou grinned and smiled with enthusiasm. “Of course!” he exclaimed. “But the same goes for you!”

        And the next week passed far too quickly for Shouyou’s liking. Sora’s either, it turned out. Mei, being the most experienced out of them all, had taken Shouyou and Sora to the spot they’d arrived at all those years ago and opened the portal. 

        Sora fussed in Shouyou’s arms, tears trickling down her cheeks. “Wha do you mean Mei-chan and Kat-kun and Alec-san aren’t coming with us?” she questioned, her tiny hands fisting in Shouyou’s shirt. 

        Shouyou gave her a sad look. “We’re going home, Sora,” Shouyou explained. “Back to Daddy and your grandpas.”

        Sora’s bottom lip quivered. “Can’t Mei-chan come with us?” she begged. 

        Shouyou looked helplessly to Mei and Mei came over, taking Sora out of Shouyou’s arms for a moment and setting her on the ground so she could kneel in front of the small girl. 

        “Hey there, baby girl,” Mei said, grinning brightly.

        “Papa says you can’t go home with us,” Sora grumbled, folding her arms. 

        Mei ruffled Sora’s hair affectionately. “He’s right,” she explained. “My place is here, with Kat-kun and Alec-san.”

        “But- But- But- you need to be with me and Papa!” Sora wailed, jumping onto Mei and clinging tightly. “I- I don’t wanna go without Mei-chan!”

        “Sora…” Mei said, pulling away just a bit. She wiped at Sora’s tears before giving her a smile. “You’re gonna get to see your daddy, the handsome one in the picture Papa shows you?” Sora giggled a bit. “And I’ll come visit you a whole bunch, okay? And I’ll bring Kat-kun and Alec-san all the time, okay?”

        Sora frowned, looking down. “I don’t wanna,” she grumbled. 

        “It’ll be like a whole new adventure,” Shouyou chimed in. “One like in the stories we read you. But you gotta be brave.”

        Mei smiled. “Just like your Papa says, Sora, you gotta be brave.” Mei poked Sora right over the heart. “And as long and you remember me, I’ll be right there, okay? I’m never that far away.”

        Sora pulled herself to her tallest and straightened her pigtails before wiping at her eyes. “Okay!” she exclaimed. “I’ll be brave and go on a new adventure and meet my Daddy!”

        She turned and held her arms up for Shouyou to take. Shouyou rolled his eyes but pulled her up into his arms.

        “What if Daddy doesn’t like me?” she whispered in Shouyou’s ear. 

        Shouyou turned to her and kissed her forehead. “Your daddy loves you so much, Sora,” he promised. “So,  _ so  _ much.”

        “You better get going,” Alec said, Katsuro asleep in his arms. 

        Shouyou nodded and stood at the edge of the portal. “I’ll see you soon,” Mei promised. “When we come through with the rest of your things.”

        “Thank you,” Shouyou told her. “For everything. I’ll see you soon.”

        “ _ No goodbyes _ ,” Mei had threatened him the night before as she held him tight. “ _ Only see you soons _ .”

        Mei and Alec waved farewell to Sora and Shouyou as the two stepped into the portal. Sora continued waving even after the others were long out of sight. 

_         Think about where you want to go, _ Shouyou remembered being told.  _ Home? The glade? No. Tobio, Tobio, Tobio. I want to see Tobio. _

        The light flashed bright in front of Sora and Shouyou and both had to cover their eyes from the brightness. 

        Then they were standing still, just outside the front entrance of a college. People milled about, but a few stopped and stared at him. A crowd began gathering, a few murmuring about how he’d seemed to just appear from nowhere. 

        But then there were two pushing through the crowd toward Shouyou. 

        Kageyama Tobio. 

        Sora looked up at Shouyou with wide eyes and a bright smile before scrambling out of Shouyou’s arms. 

        “Daddy!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I hope this is satisfactory. Thanks for sticking with me for this!


	31. Return of the Dog Pile

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hitoka has her boyfriend over. It goes about as well as expected.

 

        When Koushi and Daichi had offered to host the Nekoma volleyball team for Golden Week of Hitoka’s second year of high school, Hitoka had initially been excited. She and Kenma had texted back and forth the entire weekend leading up to the stay. 

        Kenma had also revealed that he was going to bleach his hair, so be warned of that. Not that it was the first time he’d done it, but Hitoka and Kenma rarely had the time to see each other when it was in the first time.

        When they arrived, the first thing Seako did was laugh. Then she said “He should have come to me to get done right.”

        Not that she’d done any better the first time around with her own hair.

        Hitoka glared at the statement. “I think it looks fine,” she stated. 

        Seako shrugged nonchalauntly before moving to help their parents take in the bags. 

        Kenma and Hitoka smiled at one another. 

        And then were dragged away by their respective older siblings. 

        It was a bit, if only a bit, better than the last time. With it being Hitoka’s house and home, she knew all the best places to hide to get away from people. And with Kenma’s ability to find anyone or a path anywhere, he easily found her. 

        After a while, they just kinda had to  _ stop _ trying to keep the two of them apart. 

        Not that someone wasn’t always around, per unspoken agreement. 

        Which was how Hitoka, Kenma, and Shouyou ended up on the couch playing video games. Kenma was winning, of course, but Hitoka sometimes got a  _ very  _ close second. While she wasn’t good at sports and didn’t seem like the competitive type, many had never seen her while playing games.

        Shouyou groaned as, once again, he got third place. He put the controller on the table, then he turned to Kenma. Kenma silently sipped from the straw in his drink. 

        “Hey, hey, one of your dads is one of the fae, right?” he questioned. Kenma nodded. Shouyou knew this. Shouyou tilted his head. “Which one is it?”

        “Yaku,” Kenma said. “You realize being short is a fae trait, right?”

        Shouyou’s jaw dropped, his eyes wide. Then he whined. “That means I’m doomed to be short!” he complained. 

        Hitoka gave him a pat on the head. “Me too, Shou-chan, me too. And so is Kenma-kun.”

        Kenma gave her a look out of the corner of his eye and Hitoka stuck her tongue out childishly before grinning. 

        “There’s only you two and Yuu, isn’t there?” Kenma questioned. “The rest of them are wolves.”

        “Except Chikara!” Shouyou exclaimed. “He’s human.”

        “But for the most part, yeah,” Hitoka claimed, grabbing onto her ankles and leaning forward a bit. 

        Kenma hummed, shifting a bit to better face the other two, though he didn’t do so head on. “It must be nice having two werewolf parents,” he muttered softly. “You don’t have to deal with the weird things a fae parents from the other world does…”

        Shouyou’s eyes widened. Then he got a mischievous grin. Hitoka looked over at him, paling. 

        “Well, there’s some pretty weird things here, too,” he claimed. 

        “Shouyou,  _ no _ ,” Hitoka said, trying to get her voice deep and commanding. Shouyou ignored her.

        “Like-”

        “Shouyou-”

        “-the DOG PILE!”

        Shouyou launched himself at Kenma, dragging Hitoka down with him. Kenma’s eyes widened as both fell on him. Then the pounding of feet was heard from all over the house and  _ each and every one  _ of Shouyou and Hitoka’s siblings jumped on the couch.

        The couch creaked under the weight and Kenma groaned. Hitoka gave him a sad look. “Sorry,” she muttered, turning red. 

        Shouyou grinned devilishly from above her. “That’s for dating my sister without talking to me about it first,” he claimed. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... it was brought to my attention that I hadn't published anything in a while. Sorry 'bout that. Anyway, I probably won't again (meaning I'm continuing my hiatus, but I WILL return). I just wanted to let you guys know I WILL come back, always, but I often go on sporadic hiatuses on accident. I hope you continue to stay with me and be patient. I just may be returning when I finish my story "Second, Minutes, Hours. Lifetimes."
> 
> Until next time; have a wonderful day.


	32. Curse of the Glasses

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kei finds out he has to get glasses. It’s not the greatest experience in the world.

        Having so many children, it was a  _ must  _ that they were all taken in for regular checkups at the doctor’s. It helped to catch early illnesses and stop them from getting spread to the others and the two adults having to deal with half a dozen sick and cranky children.

        Dentist visits were also common because most of them were werewolves and had slightly different teeth than humans and needed more upkeep- which it was difficult to get the pups to do. 

        But eye doctors? It wasn’t really something either thought about too often. They were so busy, all the time, there just never seemed to be an opportunity. And all the pups seemed perfectly fine the way they were.

        Until… Kei. He  _ loved  _ books, and often enjoyed having Daichi or Koushi read to him. But after a time, he wanted to read by himself. He just… couldn’t. It didn’t help that there were times that  _ Shouyou  _ could find things right in front of him before Kei could.

        “Daichi, I think we need to get his eyes checked,” Koushi said one night after tucking them all in to bed. 

        Daichi nodded in agreement. “I’ve been thinking the same. I’ll make the call tomorrow, okay?” Koushi nodded. 

        “Okay.”

        The appointment was two weeks from the day the call had been made, and Koushi made the wrong decision of telling Kei that he had to go get his eyes checked.

        “There’s nothing wrong with them!” he exclaimed, stomping his small foot on the ground. “I can see just fine!” He pouted in an angry way only a four year old could. “I can see the flowers on Papa’s plates and the heroes on Aki’s shirt and- and- and Shou’s orange hair!”

        “It’s red, not orange!” Shouyou exclaimed from his plate at the table where he’d been once peacefully coloring. Koushi pinched his brow. A fight was sure to break out… 

        “Is too!” Kei exclaimed. “Carrot top!”

        “Take it back!”

        “Never!”

        “Take it back!”

        “No!”

        “Boys!” Koushi exclaimed, pulling them apart before they could start beating into each other. “Shouyou, go put your things away, please. Daddy’ll be home in a bit with the groceries and he’ll need somewhere to put them until they get put away.” Shouyou immediately ran to do as he was bid, happy to be of any help. With him off doing that, Koushi knelt in front of Kei. He gave the boy a soft smile. “I never said you couldn’t see,” he claimed. “They’re just going to run some tests to see if they can help you see  _ better _ .”

        Kei still didn’t look too happy about it.

        And he continued to not be happy about it the entire time up to taking the tests (he struggled the entire way going into the office and fought against the doctor the entire time) and actually getting the glasses. Because he’d refused to choose anyway, claiming that he didn’t need any, Koushi and Daichi decided on a simple black frame.

        He wore them on the ride home after they came in, because after all he  _ could  _ see better with them on, but he grumbled and fidgetted. 

        “I look weird,” Kei grumbled, pulling on the bottom of his shirt and glaring at his knees. 

        “You look handsome, Kei,” Koushi said from the front seat. He looked over his shoulder to smile at Kei. “All the girls are going to love you when you get big. They’re gonna think you’re cool.”

        Kei turned red and Daichi rolled his eyes. “What if he’s not into girls?”

        “I wasn’t saying he was. I was saying from what I know girls like boys in glasses. Whether he reciprocates those feelings isn’t something that needs discussed right now, Daichi. He’s only four.”

        Daichi made an agreeing noise as they pulled up to the house. Kei shuffled his feet slowly on the way up to the door, not really wanting the others to see him.  _ They  _ were gonna think he was weird, weren’t they?

        Well, Hitoka would think he was cool if what Koushi said was right. But maybe that was only when they got big. And Shouyou was kinda an idiot, but as long as Kei would play with him, he probably wouldn’t care.

        Kei would make sure to play with Shouyou extra the next week to make sure Shouyou didn’t hate him. 

        Then he’d probably ignore him extra the week after to recuperate from all the energy, but Kei wasn’t gonna think that far ahead.

        “They’re home, they’re home, they’re home!” Hitoka shouted from the living room. She bounded in, followed closely by the others. 

        “Whaaa! Kei looks so cool!” Shouyou exclaimed, bouncing around and making Kei go red. “Papa, Daddy! Can I get glasses too?! I wanna look cool like Kei!”

        Koushi and Daichi shared a relieved smile. Daichi placed a hand on Shouyou’s head and smiled a bit. “I suppose you all could go get your eyes examined,” he said. “Then we’ll see.”

        Shouyou cheered, jumping up and down and overwhelming Kei just a bit. Ryuu and Yuu were sniggering quietly about how he looked like a nerd, only stopping and running off in fear when Koushi sent them a dangerous smile.

        “I told you,” Koushi said, placing a hand on Kei’s head. “You don’t look weird.”

        Kei would beg to digress, but there were worse things than glasses, weren’t there?

        (Such as, for example, Shouyou crying several weeks later when he was told he had good eyesight and didn’t need glasses. Kei felt a sense of pride at looking cooler than his brother, and both Daichi and Koushi marveled at the mindsets of their children.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess who's back- back again. 
> 
> Yes, my lovelies, I'm back! It's likely updates will still be slow, but I hope to be able to focus on this as my main multi-chapter fic now that I have finished "Seconds, Minutes, Hours. Lifetimes."! 
> 
> Also, more news- I've recently gotten a tumblr! Come bug me on there for no reason at all! Hurrah! Until I figure out how to actually link in the notes, you'll have to look me up. NightshadeDawn, and I've kept my profile pic the same as on here. Shouldn't be too hard to find. I'll see you next time.


	33. In Another Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Asahi was not prepared for this chaos.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you, Bookie - that's you, The_Bookworm - for helping me out with deciding on the name. You were a big help.

        After Shouyou, the next to become a parent was Asahi. Which, okay, he was basically a really good choice. Possibly the only one better suited to being one would be Chikara with how much he had to actually look over his siblings over the years.

        But Asahi was a good choice. He loved children, and after they got over his scary appearance factor, they generally loved him too. He was gentle and he paid attention and he  _ knew  _ what he was doing for the most part.

        He’d always dreamed of having children, too.

        Just… not like this.

        There was a small baby on the doorstep of his dorm room, faint glowing coming from beneath the blanket. 

        He’d heard the stories about how Yuu and Hitoka and Shouyou had been dropped on Koushi and Daichi’s doorstep. They were a favorite, after all. 

        But Asahi was only in his third year of university. He wasn’t old enough to be a dad! But he’d been given the baby- his roommate was away for the vacation, so he was honestly the only candidate- so he’d take it in.

        Quickly, Asahi picked up the baby and brought it inside. Upon further inspection, it was revealed to be a boy and Asahi inwardly cringed at all the complications that would come of raising a boy with fae heritage. 

        He began to fuss in Asahi’s arms and Asahi quickly turned to look at him, rocking him gently and cooing. 

        “Yuu’s gonna wanna know about you,” Asahi murmured softly as the baby opened his eyes to reveal eyes the color of a burning sunset. Asahi smiled a bit. “And Koushi and Daichi will probably want to as well… They’d be able to tell me what to do. I’m nowhere near ready for this, but I’ll do my best.”

        The first thing he did, of course, was head over to the store to get essentials. He had a basic idea of what he needed; he’d babysat Natsu a bit when she was younger. Though, she’d been a bit more around two than newborn…

        Asahi cleared his thoughts and began searching for diapers, formula, and bottles. Those were the must have essentials for the moment. Everything else could be gotten later. 

        Asahi gulped when he spotted one of his classmates as the cashier. He wasn’t a bad guy, not really, but he was kinda a blabbermouth at times…

        His eyes widened in excitement when he spotted Asahi. “Hey, Azumane! What you doing out so early in the morning?” he questioned, leaning over the counter as Asahi neared. “Hey, hey, who’s the kid, Azumane? You babysitting or something?”

        He cackled as Asahi turned dark red. “Ah, not exactly…” he mumbled, setting his things on the counter to be checked out. “He was left on my doorstep this morning…”

        His classmate gawked, almost dropping the bottles as he scanned them. Then he laughed, loud and obnoxious. “Man, I didn’t think you were like that, Azumane! So, what was she like?”

        It shouldn’t have been possible to go even redder, but Asahi defied the impossible. “Uh, um, no,  _ no _ , I- He’s- It might have been a wrong room?” He couldn’t exactly say that he was a  _ fairy _ , but Asahi wasn’t the  _ father  _ either.

        Too many complications…

        With minimal teasing later, Asahi was on his way back to the dorm. After being fed and changed, the baby- which Asahi  _ really  _ needed to name seeing as it was weird just to keep calling him  _ the baby _ \- was fast asleep and Asahi stared at the phone in his lap.

        He needed to call his family, he just didn’t know  _ how _ . How to explain the entire situation.

        They’d be supportive, because no one really got the choice of whether or not they were chosen to raise one of the fae and it might have just been luck or coincidence. But it was still complicated. 

        Asahi had never even  _ talked  _ to Yuu about kids before. What if he didn’t want any? Or what if he wasn’t ready  _ right now _ and wouldn’t want to be with Asahi since Asahi had decided he was going keep the baby?

        A thousand questions and worries fled through Asahi’s head, making it spin. He was pulled out of his revery by his phone ringing. The name on the screen was ‘Koushi’. Asahi gulped before sliding to answer the call.

        “Hello…?”

        “ _ You’re thinking too much again, aren’t you? _ ” 

        Asahi cringed at Koushi’s sharp tone. He gulped again, his mouth having gone dry. “How’d you know?” he asked. 

        “ _ A father’s intuition _ ,” Koushi stated. “ _ What’s on your mind that you’re so worried about? _ ”

        Asahi hummed, chewing on his lip as he thought about how to answer. “ Um, it’s- it’s kinda complicated ,” he admitted, his head falling forward between his knees. He closed his eyes. “ I woke up to do my morning run, and there was a baby on my doormat _. _ ”

        There was silence on Koushi’s part, making Asahi’s sweatdrop. After a few moments, Koushi let out a long breath. “ _ Have you told Yuu? _ ” he asked softly.

        Asahi cringed once more. “I… I haven’t figured out how to do it,” he admitted. “I mean… what if he doesn’t even want kids? Or kids with  _ me _ ?”

        All kindness was gone from Koushi with a snort. “ _ You can seriously be an idiot sometimes, Asahi _ ,” he stated, making Asahi whine. “ _ Yuu has been in love with you basically since the  _ moment  _ you two met, and he’s been pining since he was twelve. Getting a drop won’t change that. And if you’d use your head and  _ think  _ for a moment, you’d realize how much he  _ adores  _ children. He’s probably going to use this as an excuse to claim you two need to stick together forever, now _ .”

        Asahi let out a dry chuckle as he rubbed the back of his neck. “I thought you were supposed to be nice to your kids, Koushi,” he grumbled. 

        Koushi snorted again, but then he laughed. “ _ Charge and future son-in-law _ ,” he stated. 

        Asahi went red because yeah, okay, he wanted to eventually propose to Yuu and probably live out the rest of his life with him because he was just so in love with him but they were both still in school and Asahi also had a baby to worry about now and-

        “ _ Stop thinking so hard, beardy. You’re making my brain hurt _ .” Asahi almost fell backwards on the couch, and probably would have too if it hadn’t been where the baby was sleeping. “ _ We can talk more later, alright? You need to call Yuu. Don’t worry about Daichi, I’ll tell him. And when we talk next, I’ll be skyping you. You’ll start needing to look for a bigger place. For one, I don’t think they allow babies in your dorms _ .”

        Asahi sighed. “Yeah. Alright. Um, thanks, Koushi,” he said, smiling just a bit. Koushi chuckled. 

        “ _ You know, we raised you long enough, you really don’t need to be so formal with us _ ,” Koushi teased. “ _ I’ll talk to you later. Bye Asahi. Don’t think so hard or too much. You don’t have the brain for it with all that brawn _ .”

        Asahi was about to retort, but the line went dead. He sighed, pushing stray hair out of his face. He caught sight of the baby boy asleep on couch just a cushion away. Asahi placed one of his big hands on his head, and it fit in his palm perfectly.

        “What to name you…?” he murmured. He drew his hand away and picked up his phone again. It’d be better to get the call over with, like ripping a bandaid off. 

        He found Yuu’s contact in his phone and hit the call button before he could chicken out.

        “ _ Guys, shut  _ up!” There were several loud moaning sounds and muffled shouting. Yuu scoffed out an amused laugh. “ _ Would you guys do this if it was one of my fathers? _ ”

        “ _ Yes! _ ” someone shouted. 

        Yuu snorted while someone else shouted “ _ No phone sex _ !” and then a door clicked shut.

        “ _ Hi Asahi _ ,” Yuu finally said, addressing him. Asahi felt his heart melt a little. 

        “Hi, Yuu,” Asahi replied, smiling a bit. “You sound like you’re having fun.”

        Yuu laugh, bright and cheery. Asahi could almost imagine him curling up into a ball to get comfortable as he did so. “ _ I like my roommates _ ,” he said. “ _ But I miss you. It’d be better if you were here _ .”

        He was almost whining and Asahi had to chuckle a bit at his antics. “We’ll see each other next break,” he said. “It’s not that far away now.”

        Yuu  _ did  _ whine this time. “ _ Nooo _ ,” he whined. “ _ It’s too far awaaay _ .”

        Asahi felt his throat go dry and he gulped to try to wet it. It didn’t work. “But, um, speaking of the break, I, uh, I may be moving before then,” he finally managed to push out. 

        Yuu made a curious noise, and the thought of him tilting his head that way he did nestled itself in Asahi’s mind. “ _ Why? _ ” Yuu asked, breaking Asahi free from his thoughts.

        Asahi smacked his lips, trying to figure out how to best put it. _ It’s like a bandaid. Just have to get it over with. _

        “I, um, I got dropped this morning,” Asahi said. “There was a drop. On my door. This morning.”

        Yuu was silent for far too long. Asahi was about to look at his phone screen to see if the line went dead, but then he heard the squealing. 

        “ _ We’re dads?! _ ” he exclaimed. “ _ Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god! Asahi! We’re  _ dads _! _ ”

        Asahi chuckled, running a hand through his hair. “I know. I’m the one who was dropped with the baby, Yuu.”

        Yuu crowed and cheered. “ _ Asahi! This is- Kinda freaky and how the heck do we take care of a kid and we’re miles apart and there’s so much work that goes into taking care of kids, but this is gonna be so cool! We’re parents, Asahi! You have to send me picture of- wait, is it a boy or girl? _ ”

        “It’s a boy,” Asahi said, looking over as the baby began to fuss. When he placed a hand on his back, he calmed down and went back to sleep. 

        Yuu cooed. “ _ Have you named him yet? _ ” he asked. 

        Asahi let out a small sigh. “Er, no,” he admitted. “Not really… I kinda have a name picked out. Akusa. But I wasn’t sure if I wanted to give him my name or Fukui.”

        “ _ Fukui Akusa _ ,” Yuu said, sounding the name on his tongue. “ _ Azumane Akusa… I like Azumane _ .”

        Asahi smiled. “Okay,” he said. “Azumane Akusa it is.” At the sound of his new name, Akusa seemed to fidget in his sleep.

        “ _ You better send me some pictures of my two favorite boys! _ ” Yuu exclaimed as the door slammed open and someone shouted on the other end. “ _ I’ve gotta go! I love you, Asahi. I’ll see you soon! _ ”

        “I love you too,” Asahi told him. “But you haven’t even met Akusa yet.”

        Yuu laughed. “ _ If he’s your son, Asahi, he’s bound to be amazing _ ,” Yuu told him, his voice soft. “ _ But I’ve got a study session with some of my classmates I can’t miss. I’ll talk to you later? _ ”

        “Yeah,” Asahi said. “I’ll include you in the call with Koushi. We’re going to be looking for apartments for me and Akusa.”

        “ _ Sounds great! I love you Asahi! _ ”

        “I love Yuu too.”

        The call was cut, and just before the phone was slid into Asahi’s pocket, it went off. The message was from Koushi, telling him a time in the next three day when both he and Daichi were free so they could all talk and discuss the house finding. It also warned that Asahi had better have ones that he was looking at by that time.

        Asahi wrote back a promise, and that Yuu would be joining the call if he was free.

        When he finally managed to put his phone away, Asahi pulled his computer towards him to begin the search for a new place to live. Koushi was scary when he was angry, and besides, Akusa deserved the best chance. And it was Asahi’s duty to give it to him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fukui means fortunate, Askua means tomorrow, and Asahi's full name means "morning sun on the eastern peak". Take what you will from that. 
> 
> I seriously think Asahi would end up with a lot of kids in any universe because, if they grew up around him, they wouldn't think he was scary. Hence, he's going to end up with the most out of any of them. ;P
> 
> Come bother me if you insist.
> 
> [Tumblr, anyone?](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/nightshadedawn)


	34. And in Another Place

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A new house for Asahi and Akusa- and more family shenanigans.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You're going to cry at the cheesy, shit ending. How do I know? Because I did. I'm sorry. I'm trying.
> 
> This didn't turn out like I wanted.

        House hunting for Asahi happened sooner than he’d have liked. 

        Not that he wasn’t excited and knew they need for it, but he was also  _ nervous  _ as all else. He was getting a three bedroom, he knew that much. A bedroom for him, a bedroom for Akusa, and a guest room. 

        Mentally, Asahi knew that it would be used mostly by Yuu for a while, but they’d always been able to cuddle with one another and Yuu had a thing with crawling into other people’s beds in the middle of the night. Which meant that it was about as likely he’d be  _ sharing  _ his bed.

        The thought had Asahi both nervous and scared. He loved Yuu, he really did, but he’d  _ always  _ be questioning his love. Because Yuu was cool and confident and smart when he wanted to be. And Asahi? Asahi was a coward. Who knew if Yuu would want to spend the rest of their lives together.

        It was a thought process that didn’t go away easily.

        So Asahi, Koushi, Daichi, and Yuu, with Akusa strapped onto Asahi’s back in a baby carrier, went about looking at available houses. 

        “Asahi, Asahi look!” Yuu exclaimed, jumping around the empty bedroom 

        Asahi followed Koushi into the bedroom, Koushi wearing a bemused expression. 

        “It’s so  _ big _ ,” Yuu said in awe, just turning in circles. Asahi had to put his arms out to catch him before he fell on the ground. Yuu looked up at Asahi with the biggest grin imaginable. “This one should be ours.”

        “You like this house?” Daichi asked, following the real estate agent they were working with. He stretched his back as Yuu nodded enthusiastically. 

        “Yeah!” he exclaimed. “It’s got a lot of space and a big backyard for the kids to play in, and it’s a good location to get downtown, but also to…” He trailed off, looking to their very human real estate agent. “... other places.”

        “It’s an ideal situation,” the man said, a grin on his face. “It’s a good commute to Azumane-san’s school, and there’s a daycare in close range as well. A reputable one, so you don’t need to worry about your children.”

        Asahi looked at Yuu. “Are you sure you like it?”

        Yuu grinning, giving him a thumbs up. “Yeah!” he proclaimed. “But you’re the one that’s gonna be living here most of the time until we finish school. What about you?”

_         I want to provide for you, I want to see you smiling like that everyday. If this makes you happy, then I’m happy. _

        Asahi gave him a soft smile. “Yeah, I like it.”

        Koushi clapped his hands together. “Well then! We’ll get the ownership papers signed and start moving in tomorrow.”

        “Ko-Koushi!” Asahi choked. “I only have enough for a downpayment, not entire ownership-”

        Daichi clapped Asahi on the shoulder. “We told you we wouldn’t be making you do this by yourself,” Daichi stated. “We’ve got enough to do this and then some. If you hadn’t insisted on paying your own way through college, we would have been able to do that too. We come from a long line, Asahi, and we use that on our kids. And now that you’ve got our grandson, well, this is only natural. Since Yuu hasn’t added onto the fortune yet.”

        Yuu let out an indigent shriek and started loudly complaining. Koushi attempted to placate him, but it was too late. Akusa started fussing in his carrier on Asahi’s chest. Asahi cooed and rubbed Akusa’s back as Koushi scolded Yuu and Daichi led the agent out of the room to take a look at the deed. 

        That night, Koushi and Daichi went to their hotel while Yuu went back to Asahi’s dormroom, for the last night it seemed. They crawled into the bed, the sleeping baby between them. 

        Yuu gave a lazy grin as he entwined their fingers. “Aren’t you scared you’ll roll over and squash him?” he asked softly. 

        “No,” Asahi replied. “I’ve had enough practice sleeping in the same bed as you.”

        “Okay,  _ rude _ .”

        They both gave off soft little laughs that made Akusa squirm. Yuu traced his pudgy little face. It was soft and warm to the touch. 

        “I’ve always wanted a baby.”

        “Yuu, you have a baby,” Asahi said, looking down Akusa. 

        Yuu sighed. “He’s  _ yours _ ,” he stated. “I mean, I’ve love for him to be mine- to be  _ ours-  _ but he was dropped on  _ your  _ door. I’m just the idiot bystander that’s hopelessly in love with you.”

        Asahi placed a hand on Yuu cheek, even though he frowned. “Yuu, you’re not an idiot,” he whispered, though his tone left no room for argument. “I love you too. And there was never a thought in my mind that Akusa was only mine. He’s always been yours too, from the moment he was left on my doorstep.”

        As if to prove the point, Akusa wiggled closer to Yuu in his sleep, leaving the two pressed close together. Yuu looked down at the baby in surprise before looking up at Asahi with wide, joy filled eyes. 

        When Daichi came to pick the three of them up the next morning, Asahi and Yuu packed what little stuff Asahi had of his own in the dormroom and they headed to the house. Upon arrival, Asahi’s eyes bulged. 

        The living room had so many boxes, large and small, piled in it it was a wonder how they all fit. And Koushi stood in the middle of it all, directing movers and delivery men around the house. 

        He grinned cheekily at Asahi’s expression. “When you’ve got werewolf connections, everything moves a bit faster.” He came over and clapped Asahi’s shoulder. “After all, you’ve been dropped once now. Others will start coming soon too.”

        “Don’t scare him,” Daichi deadpanned. 

        Koushi gave him a mock gasp. “I just wanted to explain the fact that in two years, we went from a childless couple to having nine pups.”

        “That’s a lot,” Yuu commented off handedly. “We’re wolves, though. Not surprising. But I’m thinking more of an even number- like ten.”

        Asahi might have fainted if he hadn’t been holding Akusa. 

        Not too long later, Daichi directed them all to start putting together furniture. Akusa had been placed on a rather large, bouncy couch cushion several feet away. Just far enough away that he wasn’t in risk of getting hurt by the building materials. 

        It took most of the day, barely any break save for lunch and whenever Akusa demanded attention. After dinner, when most of the furniture in the living room was put together and organized, they all sat down to take a breather. 

        Yuu was on the floor, making cooing noises and funny faces at Akusa to make him laugh. Akusa giggled and fluttered his tiny wings, just making Yuu’s face light up. 

        “Think you can handle this tomorrow?” Daichi asked, lifting his head from the back of the couch. “Koushi and I need to head back home tomorrow.”

        “I’ll be fine,” Asahi claimed, smiling at Yuu and Akusa. 

        It was dark outside when Koushi and Daichi told Yuu and Asahi goodbye. Akusa was asleep, and his newly made crib had been placed in Asahi’s room. He’d end up putting it in the room meant for Akusa, but he wanted to  _ gently  _ ease Akusa into sleeping alone. (Though, according to Koushi, that wouldn’t last long anyhow)

        And as expected, Asahi’s bed didn’t stay empty for long. The next day, they’d work on the frame and headboard, but for now it was only a mattress covered in blankets. Without a second thought, Yuu, in his wolf form, curled up to Asahi. 

        Asahi shifted into a wolf as well and curled up around Yuu. Yuu nuzzled his nose into Asahi’s neck before giving off a content purr and settling down. Asahi closed his eyes and breathed in deeply. 

        “I want to stay like this forever,” Yuu murmured. 

        “Exhausted from working all day?”

        Yuu barked out a laugh. “No. With you. In a house of our own. A family.”

        “Goodnight, Yuu.”

        “Goodnight, Asahi,” was the last sound he heard before drifting to sleep. 

        When he woke up to the sun blinding him, both he and Yuu had shifted back into human form in the night. He almost forgot for a moment where he was and what had happened, but then memories of the day before came back one by one. 

        His eyes widened at Yuu’s wording from before. “Did he propose to me?”

        Yes, yes he did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Somebody smack me upside the head and tell me to watch Haikyuu!! again so I can get their characterizations right.


	35. Good Dog

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Back before Daichi and Koushi became parents, Daichi was friends with Ukai. And Ukai  _ really  _ needed someone in his life. Sad old geezer. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I surprise myself sometimes. I've actually had this written for several hours, I just forgot to publish it...

        Twenty-one years old and still adjusting to being out of highschool, Sawamura Daichi worked most days in the dirt and grime of the mechanics shop right across the road from a grocer a friend from the Midnight Howls worked at. 

        He was several years older than Daichi, but, they’d basically grown up together. Their family cabins were located close together, so they’d seen each other at least once every few months. 

        Now, Daichi saw him a lot more. Bought a lunch from him a couple of times a week when he ran too late to make one. But it’d been a while since he’d gone to one of the gatherings, so Daichi saw him more outside of them. 

        But the fact was, something was going on that Ukai wasn’t sharing and it had started affecting his work. Ukai seemed grumpier than usual, and he’d started drinking during the day. After the first several times of Ukai doing that, and ending up in the pound for a few days before he was able to break out, he’d begrudgingly agreed to get chipped so Daichi could be called and get him home. 

        Which was how, in the middle of a busy day at the shop, Daichi ended up getting a call. Daichi looked over to his boss helplessly and the other man sighed. 

        “We won’t miss you for an hour or so,” he stated. “Just be quick. Need to fix that fence so your dog quits getting out.”

        “Yes sir. I’ll do that soon.”

        Daichi quickly headed out of the shop and towards the pound that was holding Ukai. He’d become familiar with the young lady that worked the desk in the last several months, and she gave him a small grin as he approached, covered in oil.

        “Well, Mr. Sawamura, it’s good to see you again,” she said cheerfully. “You really ought to fix your fence. I’m not sure how many times I’ll be able to give him back to you before you’re not allowed to take him back.”

        Daichi rubbed the back of his head. “Yeah, I know, I’m sorry,” he said as Ukai was led out of the back room. “I really thought that I’d gotten it fixed.”

        “Take care, Mr. Sawamura.”

        “Uh, yeah. You too. Come on, Ukai.”

        Ukai followed after Daichi, his head hanging low and his tail not moving. As they stepped out of the building and into the street, Ukai whined. Daichi sighed heavily, sticking his hands in his pockets. 

        “You wouldn’t be having a hangover if you hadn’t been drinking,” he stated. Ukai was silent. 

        Daichi walked along with him down to the alley Ukai would usually change back into his human form after the escapes. Daichi looked down at Ukai as he disappeared into the alley. He leaned against the wall while he waited for Ukai to return. 

        “We can’t keep doing this,” Daichi said. “One or both of us are going to lose our jobs. One of these days, they could put you down. Or you’ll kill yourself before they get the chance. Whatever’s the matter, I could help with you know. That’s what friends are for.”

        Ukai returned from the alley, his eyes sunken and dark. He was pale and he had a new scratch on his neck- he’d likely have gotten in a fight with another dog. Maybe a wolf. 

        “You’re a kid, you don’t need to worry about my problems,” Ukai said gruffly, lighting up a cigarette and walking down the sidewalk. Daichi followed, even if it were clear his presence wasn’t wanted. 

        He placed a hand on Ukai’s shoulder and turned the elder man around. “I’m twenty-one,” he stated. “I’m an adult. And as I said, friends help each other out.” Daichi gave Ukai a look and Ukai furrowed his brows, breaking away. 

        “You can’t help with this.”

        “Try me.”

        “Sawamura-”

        “Ukai-”

        “They’re dead.”

        Daichi froze, his hand still reaching out for Ukai’s shoulder. The cigarette fell from Ukai’s hand and to the ground. He collapsed onto the curb, his whole body shaking as he gripped at his head. 

        “They’re all dead,” he said, his voice breaking. “I left, and they died. Only one left is the old man. My entire pack is gone. Some screwed wolves came and slaughtered them before they had a chance to fight back. Gramps only made it ‘cause he was in the hospital. I’m only alive because I  _ left _ .” He let out a wry laugh. “Ironic, isn’t it? I wanted so badly to get away from my family and make my own way and then they  _ died _ . And the police- ha! They can’t find anything. I doubt they will either.” Ukai clasped his hands and leaned his forehead on them. “I shouldn’t have left them.”

        Daichi placed a hesitant hand on Ukai’s shoulder. “There’s nothing you could have done,” he said softly.

        Ukai snorted, sitting up sharply. “I know that,” he grumbled. “But at least if I’d been there, I wouldn’t be alive to live without them.”

        Daichi furrowed his brows. “But then your grandfather would have no one left to care for him,” he stated. “He’d be alone. And there’s still so much you could do. Carry on their name and build yourself a new pack.”

        Ukai let out a huff as he pushed himself to his feet. “Yeah, whatever,” he muttered. “I need a drink.”

        Daichi jumped to his feet and grabbed Ukai’s wrist. “Oh no you don’t,” he claimed. “Even if I have to physically put you in rehab, we’re getting you off drinking. We need you functioning.”

        Ukai sent Daichi a smirk. “Thanks, Daichi.”

        “Anytime.”

        A year later, after Ukai had dutifully mourned and broken away from his excessive drinking, a fairy would sneak into his home in the attempt to drop their child- only to be caught and eventually fall in love.

        But that’s a story for another time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tell me what you guys would like to see! I trying to get back in the swing.


	36. Meet the Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Remember that pretty date from Chikara's last chapter? Yeah, she's back. And insanity ensues.

        “Are you sure you want to do this?” Chikara asked.

        His partner-in-crime (more on the side of _stopping_ crime), Shimizu Honoka, laughed from her seat in the car next to him. He anxiously tapped his fingers on the steering wheel and Honoka placed a hand on top of his and smiled sweetly.

        “I’ve already met Hinata-kun,” she said. “And that went over well, didn’t it? It’ll be fine.”

        Chikara gave a dry chuckle. “I just don’t want to scare you away…” he admitted. “We have a large family…”

        “I can handle anything you throw at me!” Honoka proclaimed, puffing up her muscles and grinning. “I grew up with several cousins, remember?”

        Chikara laughed for real this time, remembering when he met Honoka’s own family the week before. Everyone had told stories of how Honoka had been the toughest on the block, beating up the other kids if they so much as thought about picking on one of the younger ones. And she was a short stack back then.

        “I’ll be fine, Chi,” Honoka promised, squeezing Chikara’s hand. Chikara nodded, letting out a breath.

        He started the car and they made their way to his childhood home where he, and all of his siblings, and their children, were gathering for a once in a blue moon family dinner (funnily enough, it would be a blue moon that night).

        After pulling up to the house- much more well taken care of because Koushi and Daichi had the time to do so and didn’t have a bunch of boys running around and tearing the grass up- Chikara led Honoka to the front door. Beyond it, he could hear the screams and shouting and laughing of his nieces and nephews.

        Chikara took a deep breath, squeezing Honoka’s hand, and rang the doorbell. It was opened shortly later by Koushi, whose face broke out into a wide grin.

        “Chikara!” he exclaimed, pulling his son into a hug. “It’s been too long! You’ve been taking care of yourself haven’t you?” He pulled away enough to smile at him. “And what on earth are you ringing bells for? You’re family. This is still home.”

        Chikara laughed as Koushi pulled him into the house, gesturing for Honoka to follow. “It does feel a bit weird to still knock…” he admitted.

        Koushi gave him a knowing smirk before turning to Honoka, his brown eyes brightening. “You’re a new face!” he exclaimed. “Chikara, introduce us!”

        “Who are we getting introduced to?” Daichi came out of the way of the kitchen as the question was asked. He placed a hand on Koushi’s waist. Neither of them were quiet as young as they used to be, though by no means quiet so old, and it showed on their laugh-lined faces and greying hair. Well, Koushi had always had silver hair, but there were streaks of white in it now.

        Chikara smiled. “Dad, Pa, this is Shimizu Honoka, my girl friend. Shimizu-chan, these are my parents, Sawamura Daichi and Sugaware Koushi.”

        Honoka eagerly shook both of their hands, her eyes lighting up. “I grew up watching you on TV!” she exclaimed. “One of my favorite works of yours was your detective trilogy. It’s actually what inspired me to become a detective.”

        Koushi’s expression softened into a gentle smile. “That’s sweet of you dear,” he said. “Though I must be honest, Sugawara is only my professional name. Legally, I’m a Sawamura. It kept things less complicated in the early years.” He clapped his hands together. “But let’s get out of the doorway! Dinner’s almost done, but it’s still been a long day. I’m sure you’d like to relax for a bit.”

        “Thank you, sir.”

        They headed into the living room where Shouyou was scolding an orange furred puppy. “Makoto, that’s not very nice of you. Go give it back to your brother.”

        The puppy whined, widening his big brown eyes at Shouyou, but Shouyou was having none of it. Shouyou folded his arms and looked at him.

        “You can’t pull that look on me when I’m the one that invented it.”

        The puppy whined one more time before trotting out of the room past Chikara and Honoka. Shouyou looked up, his expression turning into a bright smile when he caught sight of Chikara and Honoka.

        “Chi!” he exclaimed, bounding over to them. “And- You! I’m sorry, I didn’t catch your name when we first met.”

        He chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck. Honoka laughed and shook his hand. “Shimizu Honoka,” she told him.

        Then Chikara punched Shouyou’s arm, making the young yelp. “And she hasn’t stopped calling me _Chi_ since you came by,” he stated with a roll of his eyes.

        Honoka giggled, grabbing Chikara’s arm and pulling him down to kiss his cheek. “But it’s cute.”

        Chikara fought down his flush at the public display of affection. “Yup. You’ll fit right in.”

        “Uncle Chi!”

        “And there’s the rest of the monsters.”

        Chikara barely had the time to sit down before several small children and puppies jumped on him. The twins, Makoto and Takuya, were vying for his attention on his lap while Ryuu and Kiyoko’s daughter, Yuko, nipped at his ankles in puppy form. Hikaru was attempting to pull Chikara’s hair from his head while sitting on his shoulders.

        Daisuku was attempting to lick Chikara’s face, but was blocked by Chickara’s hand. Yumiko and Rio were yipping and jumping on everyone, yowling out laughter. Kouki and Hikari were both trying to push their cousins out of the way to try to at _least_ get a hug out of Chikara (both knew very well that that was likely all they were going to get before Chikara got swarmed again). Kouta and Youta were attempting to _wiggle_ under everyone else to get a place on Chikara’s lap. Noa was waiting back, shuffling back and forth on her feet and looking between the dogpile and the door to run away.

        Honoka laughed, covering her mouth. “You’ve… certainly got a lot of them,” she commented, trying, and failing, to hide her giggles.

        “And that’s not even all of them,” Shouyou said good naturedly, just as the baby monitor on his waist started going off with wails. “And that’ll be mine.”

        “I thought you only had these three,” Chikara said, grunting as one of the children- it was impossible to tell _who-_ rammed into his gut.

        Shouyou whined as he headed for the door. “We got dropped twice in the last year months,” he said. “And we found another.”

        “Lord, Shou.”

        “I _know_. And they’re all under one, and cranky. I gotta go take care of them before they wake up the other babies.”

        Shouyou exited the room just as Hitoka walked in. They greet one another, but then her eyes widened when she saw Chikara, her smile lighting up.

        “Chikara!” she exclaimed. “It’s been so long! But, ah, you probably want some help, don’t you?”

        “Get a picture first if you insist,” Koushi told her, popping his head in before going to the kitchen.

        Hitoka rolled her eyes good naturedly before pulling out her phone. All the kids turned towards her with too wide, cheesy smiles. Reluctantly, Chikara smiled as well. Hitoka snapped the picture before shooing the kids off of him. They scattered back to their own playings and games, leaving the living room virtually empty.

        Hitoka took a seat on the couch by a now exhausted looking Chikara, Honoka taking the sitting chair on his other side. Hitoka smiled at her.

        “I’ve heard a lot about you by now,” she said, holding out her hand. “Kozume Hitoka, Chikara’s sister. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

        “The same goes to you,” Honoka said, firmly shaking Hitoka’s hand. “Were any of them yours…?”

        “Ah, no,” Hitoka said, waving her hand. “My Kaori is upstairs taking her nap. But me and my husband are expecting another.”

        Honoka’s eyes lit up. “Oh, congratulations!” she exclaimed.

        Hitoka blushed, rubbing her neck. “Thank you,” she murmured.

        “I didn’t know that,” Chikara said. Hitoka rolled her eyes.

        “You _would_ if you bothered to check in with your family once in a while.”

        “I’m a busy man. I don’t have kaboodles of amount of time to waste like some people.”

        “Not even enough time to spend time with the family?”

        “Hitoka, have _seen_ this family? It’s _huge_.” The two stared at each other before chuckling. Chikara leaned his head on the back of the couch. “Speaking of people not with the family… Where are Asahi and Yuu anyway? I didn’t see Akusa or Shun.”

        Hitoka placed her drink on the table before brushing hair behind her ear. “About half an hour ago, Asahi called saying that Shun had had a panic attack and they were going to be late,” she explained.

        Just then, Tobio popped his head into the room. “Koushi and Daichi said that the food is done, so we need to come get our plates.”

        “Food!” Hitoka squealed with joy, jumping to her feet. “Oh, I need to go make sure that Kenma doesn’t give in to his cravings. It’s bad for the baby. Wouldn't mind usually, but it's _what_ he's craving right now.” Before Honoka could question Hitoka’s wording, the blonde was gone.

        Chikara stood, offering his arm to her. “Food?”

        “Food,” she replied, taking it.

        The night wore on, with Ryuu busting out some more adult drinks once the kids had worn themselves out for the night, and started some drinking games. Koushi and Daichi watched over their (admittedly) at times stupid and irresponsible children, making sure nothing went too far.

        Chikara stayed mostly away from that, though he did nurse a drink with Honoka in the corner of the yard, watching as Shouyou and Ryuu danced so some loud, weird music that Chikara personally thought was tasteless.

        The most surprising thing, Chikara mused, was that Honoka hadn’t yet seen Kenma and his bulging belly, or else he was _sure_ he’d have gotten a lot of questions.

        “Oh, Chikara, will you come help me in the house real quick?” Koushi asked, walking by with an armful of plates.

        “Oh, yeah. I’ll be back.” Chikara handed his drink off and Honoka smiled and waved as Chikara followed Koushi inside.

        They began loading the sink and the dishwasher, putting leftover food away.

        “You really like her, don’t you?” Koushi mused as he washed a plate. If he hadn’t been slightly buzzed, Chikara would have jumped at the sudden mention of his feelings.

        Instead, he smiled contently. “Yeah,” he admitted. “I… really do. I want to marry her. She’s really into the western stuff. I thought I might buy her a ring and propose to her western style.”

        “You’re just not sure how to bring up the family,” Koushi said. It wasn’t really a question so much as a statement of fact.

        “Yeah,” Chikara said, leaning on the countertop and hanging his head. “I mean… I don’t want to scare her away. Or make her feel like an outcast. It’s… not like there’s a lot of humans in this family.”

        Koushi chuckled as he put a dish in the rinse water. “Oh, you’d be surprised how quickly that’s changing,” he stated, making Chikara give a small laugh and roll his eyes.

        “I know, Pa.”

        He stood and stretched. Just then, a very much hyperactive and awake Sora burst past Chikara and Koushi.

        “Akusa’s here, Akusa’s here!” she exclaimed, her voice loud enough to likely announce it to the entire neighborhood.

        “Looks like the rest of the family’s arrived,” Koushi claimed. He grabbed a towel from the drawer and used it to dry his hands as he walked outside.

        Sora had basically pounced onto Akusa, tackling him to the ground and was demanding to know where he’d been and why he was late because “I had to play with the _babies_ all day and we’re big kids now so it’s _so_ not fair!”

        Shun was slowly ambling in through the backyard gate after Asahi, Asahi holding Hibiki and Aina. Yuu came in shortly later, holding onto Saburou’s hand. They waved excitedly when they saw Koushi and Chikara.

        Saburou toddled his way over to Koushi, holding his arm out in a silent demand for “UP!” with Koushi didn’t hesitate to comply with. Yuu waved once more.

        “Hey, have you guys seen Kenma?” he asked, reaching into the diaper bag at his side. “I got him something that helped with my heartburn during Saburou’s pregnancy.”

        “I think he was headed for the bathroom. But I’m pretty sure he took the long way around to avoid people,” Hitoka said as she joined them.

        Seako’s eyes widened from her spot near them. “Wait- Hey, Chikara. Wasn’t that the way your little girlfriend went off?”

        “Oh dear lord.”

        Chikara sped through the house to get to the lower floor bathrooms, only to hear a shriek before he even got there. Tripping over toys and other junk strewn around the house certainly didn’t help matters any.

        “-yeah I’m a guy, and yes I am pregnant,” Kenma was saying with a tired sigh. “I’m not human. I’m a fairy. It’s a thing we do.” There were heavy bags under his eyes and his hair was pulled up into a messy ponytail. It also looked like he hadn’t bothered to bleach it in the last few months- not that Chikara would blame him, honestly.

        Honoka looked between Chikara and Kenma. “Wha- Chi, have you ever had your brother-in-law checked out?” she questioned. “I don’t- I didn’t mean to walk in on- But he’s saying-”

        Chikara gave a heavy sigh, letting out his breath as he placed his hands on Honoka’s upper arms.

        “He’s not crazy,” Chikara said. “He’s _really_ a fairy. I’m… the only human one of my siblings.”

        Honoka’s jaw dropped, looking between Chikara and the crowd that was gathering around them. She turned her gaze back to Chikara. “What…?”

        Ryuu let out a boisterous laugh, breaking the tense atmosphere, and slung an arm around her shoulder. “Welcome to the family, sis!” he proclaimed. “We’ve got a lot of explaining to do.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Confused? Me too. That's why I made this handy dandy chart that helps me keep everything in order! Want to take a look at all their kids? They're all in there!
> 
> [Chart](https://nightshadedawn.tumblr.com/post/178284865542/as-of-chapter-36-of-my-story-a-fae-in-wolfs)
> 
> I'll probably end up doing chapters focused on each little family in the future, so you have that to look forward to. I really actually wanted to avoid character dumping like this, but then I got waaay to inspired. Thanks Bookie. 
> 
> (But no, really, thank you. Without that, I probably would have put off naming and coming up with their kids FOREVER)


	37. Wolfboy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Surprisingly, Shouyou isn't as much of a scardy cat as you'd think he'd be.

        Back when Shouyou was still a kid, he was scared of a lot. 

        Spiders, snakes, heights, thunder and lightning, the dark. You know, average stuff most kids were scared off. 

        But being a fae had some perks. 

        He and Hitoka would bring out their wings at night when they got scared, but Kei wouldn’t complain because for a time he was scared of the dark too. 

        With Yuu being able to talk to all manner of animals, snakes included, it was easier to get over the fear of them when he found out they were all mostly just sarcastic or calm.

        But he’d always been able to handle horror movies. Oddly enough, they were the one thing that had never bothered him.

        It could have been because most of his family were werewolves, so he knew the ones in movies were in accurate. 

        Some of the families they met up with in the Midnight Howl had vampyres in them. Many of them were generations old, and loved telling the stories of what they knew. Many of them were unlike their media portrayals.

        Koushi and Daichi had told their children of the undead couple they’d once met through Daichi’s sister Yui. Not as functional or fast as human, surely, but not quite as bad as bad as how they were portrayed on screen.

        Which was how, the first year of middle school, Shouyou ended up sitting on the couch at a friends house at a sleepover. They’d been watching an old werewolf movie- it was even in black and white!- called  _ The Wolfman _ . 

        Both of Shouyou’s friends, Koji Sekimukai and Yukitaka Izumi, were shaking as the credits rolled while Shouyou was just casually finishing off the bowl of popcorn they’d been sharing.

        “Du-Dude,” Koji said, squinting at Shouyou. “How are you not scared?”

        “Ye-Yeah,” Yukitaka  agreed, holding a pillow to his chest tightly. “That- That was pretty freaky stuff.”

        Shouyou shrugged, leaning back on the couch. “Not really,” he claimed. “I mean, I’ve seen ghouls that look creepier-” Shouyou froze, turning to look at his friends with a shaky smile “-on other movies and stuff. The new CGI is pretty good, huh? And you’ve never seen Dad when he’s really angry…”

        The other two laughed and the tension broke between them. 

        It was always hard trying to keep the secret of his family, but it wasn’t the hardest thing to do. And maybe one day he’d be able to tell them. 

        But they certainly weren’t ready to part of his world yet. 

        After all, the natural law of magic seemed to be that if your eyes opened to it, then you saw it everywhere. And without being ready or able to handle it, then you could get seriously hurt. There were everyday dangers for even those that grew up surrounded by it.

        Shouyou popped another piece of popcorn into his mouth. 

        Not yet, but maybe someday.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Nyx here. And, wow, okay, it's October already AGAIN? Wow. I remember writing a similar message last year about sending me Halloween themed prompts. 
> 
> And then I went on an unplanned hiatus without telling you, didn't I? Well, it's not gonna happen again this year! Probably not, anyway. 
> 
> Anyway, yeah! So, send me those Halloween themed prompts while I try to come up with some of my own. 
> 
> Also, tell me what you'd like to focus more on at the moment:  
> 1 - Asahi/Yuu's arc, building their relationship, domestic life, and all that stuff. It'll mainly be character dedicated to them.   
> 2 - Chikara's arc, with him getting married and having kids and his work life. That'll probably include some world building, too.  
> 3 - An arc for any of the others? Kei and Tadashi, Ukai and Takeda, Ryuu and Kiyoko, Akiteru/Seako and their lives (might include some background with them). I could even focus on Iwazumi and Oikawa a bit if you're into that. (Oh yeah, I promised someone a reaction chapter for Iawazumi finding out he's a grandpa, didn't I?)  
> 4 - I can focus again on when they were kids and all those shenanigans. There's probably a lot to still explore on that angle.
> 
> Just tell me what you'd like to see! Until next time, love you lots, tater tots!


	38. Unhappy Halloween

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I make what I wanted to be a happy chapter kinda depressing by accident. Oops.

        When Kei, Shouyou, and Hitoka were six, their classes did a play around Halloween. It was meant to be spooky, because of course it was. 

        When they practiced together, several of the boys enjoyed donning masks and scaring the girls a bit too much. Some learned very quickly that scaring Hitoka often ended up with their foot being stomped on or a hand in their face. She’d grown up with several brothers, of course. 

        Besides the several mishaps with the boys, and the out of tune singing from inexperienced children, it went mostly good. 

        Mostly.

        Hitoka had been cast as a ghost, while Kei was one of the dancing skeleton. Shouyou had been placed as a pumpkin, several kids snickering good naturedly about it because of his orange hair, and had a solo in a dance about halfway through the show with the witches chorus while they sang a song.

        They’d been in the middle of practice when another one of the boys who was with the witches reached over and pulled on Shouyou’s hair. After Asahi had joined the pack some months earlier, Shouyou had begged and pleaded to grow his hair out to look cool like Asahi’s.

        It’d made Asahi beam and blush, and eventually Daichi and Koushi had agreed to let Shouyou grow his hair out a little bit. And by October, it was long enough that he needed to tie it back in a ponytail to keep it out of his face.

        But there were bullies everywhere, and the hair wasn’t helping.

        “Hinata’s a girl!” the boy who’d pulled Shouyou’s hair exclaimed. “Hinata’s a girl! Hinata’s a girl!”

        Shouyou held his head while his lip trembled. “Am not am not am not!” he exclaimed. 

        “Are too!”

        “Now that’s enough. Let’s get back to practice-”

        “Hinata’s a girl!”

        Shouyou had barely let out a whine in the back of his throat when Kei burst past him, tackling the boy to the ground. When the teacher managed to get them standing and attempting to pull them apart, Kei was biting the boy’s arm and growling. Fur was beginning to peek out from below his shirt.

        The teacher finally managed to break them apart, the boy almost crying. “Tsukishima’s a freak too!”

        “Try saying that to me again!” Kei shouted, struggling against the teacher’s hold. He bared his teeth. “Say that about my brother again, I dare you! It’ll be worse than a bite when I’m done with you!”

        Hitoka finally ran over, grabbing onto Kei’s arm. Shouyou joined her and he didn’t fight them. But he didn’t stop glaring at the boy. Didn’t even look up when the teacher huffed and turned to them. 

        “I’ll be having a talk with your parents, young man.”

        “Fine,” Kei snapped. 

        Once the teacher had taken the boy to the nurse’s office, Kei brushed Hitoka and Shouyou off of him. 

        “You can’t be so whimpy,” he told Shouyou. “You can’t be a baby ‘cause we’re not always gonna be around so you gotta stand up for yourself.” Shouyou nodded but sniffled and rubbed at his eyes still. Kei ruffled Shouyou’s hair as he went back to the skeletons. “Big baby.”

        “I’m not a baby!” Shouyou shouted after him, making Kei smirk.

        “You okay?” Hitoka asked, and Shouyou nodded. She gave him a quick hug before skipping back to her group. 

        After school, all three sat just outside the principal’s office while Daichi and Koushi talked with the principal and Kei’s teacher.

        “-he bit the boy,” Kei’s teacher said.

        Koushi let out a long sigh, making Kei flinch. “I thought he’d grown out of that.”

        “He’s not biting unless he’s seriously provoked,” Daichi stated. “Was there anything that could have happened? Did you see anything?”

        Kei teacher let out an irritated huff. “One of the other boys was teasing Hinata-kun a bit,” he stated. Shouyou let head head fall and Hitoka rubbed his back. “But that does not codone-”

        “No, it doesn’t, and Kei will be dealt with accordingly. What I want to know is what the boy saying,” Koushi interrupted, his voice tense. 

        There was a beat of silence. “You really should get his hair cut if you didn’t want-”

        “What. Did. He. Say.”

        The teacher let out an irritated sigh. “He was calling Hinata-kun a girl,” he explained. “But you should really expect it if he looks like one-”

        Daichi let out a growl. “Listen here-”

        “Calm down, please,” the principal finally cut in. “Yamada-sensei, I’m disappointed in you. This is a school, and the children are supposed to feel safe here. If you saw that Hinata-kun was uncomfortable, you should have stopped it. Sawamura-san, Sugawara-san, the boy will be punished accordingly. However, Tsukishima-kun will also because no matter the good intentions, we cannot condone violence.”

        “Of course. Goodnight.”

        “Goodnight.”

        “And to you two as well.”

        Daichi and Koushi finally walked out of the office. Koushi held his arms out to Shouyou and Shouyou ran into them, getting picked up and held as they walked out. Daichi held Kei and Hitoka’s hands as they walked out to the car.

        “It’s a good thing you care for your brother and want to protect him,” Daichi said, not looking at anyone. Kei squeezed his hand. “But violence is always the answer, Kei. You’re going to be doing more chores for the next couple of weeks.”

        “Yes, Daddy,” Kei mumbled, looking down at his feet as he walked. 

        “That being said…” Koushi said, looking over at Daichi over Shouyou’s shoulder. “We still need to go costume shopping.”

        Daichi finally looked down at Kei, shaking his head a little bit. “Give it about a week so we can take them all and still be considered responsible parents.”

        “Daichi, we’ve never been responsible parents.”

        “You know what? I’m trying.”

        Shouyou laughed into Koushi’s shoulder at his parents’ banter, soon joined Hitoka and Kei while Koushi ran his hands through Shouyou’s hair. 

        Maybe it wasn’t the greatest experience, but at least he knew he was loved in the end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this and I hate Kei's teacher. Just- so much. Anyway, Halloween prompts I have that you guys can sift though and see what you want first! 
> 
> \- Haunted house with KageHina  
> \- The kids decorating the house  
> \- Kei and Tadashi accidental couples costume (I'm trying to think up their arc...)  
> \- Seako and Akiteru's first Halloween with Koushi and Daichi, and the pumpkin carving that ensues  
> \- A young Daichi and Koushi at a Halloween fair and in a maze  
> \- Halloween baking with Koushi and any of the kids you want  
> \- Costume shopping  
> \- Trick or treating. Any focus you'd like to see.


	39. Spooky Scary Skeletons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tobios and haunted houses don't mix well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also known as- I've never been in a haunted house, Tobio's still a scardy-wolf, and you all wanted this. Well, several people I've talk to anyway. Enjoy.

        When Yuu had mentioned a haunted house he and Asahi had gone to, and offered up the last night on his passes, Shouyou had jumped at the chance to go. And, of course, drag Tobio along. 

        After all, haunted houses were supposed to be the big thing, right? People having fun getting scared, or trying to scare others.

        The thing was was that Shouyou had always been…  _ not  _ phased by the general creepiness, considering he knew the truth of the supernatural. Tobio, on the other hand…

        The group the two went into the house with had eight other people, Tobio and Shouyou at the back of the group. 

        The first room was filled with cobwebs and giant, obviously fake spiders. A mechanical one had one of the girls up front screaming. Tobio kept a straight face in there. 

        The next room was dark, floating, glowing masks the only things coming in and out of sight. Something light and feathery brushed against Shouyou’s hand, making him tense. Something like fingers touched the back of Tobio’s neck and he let out a mini screech, holding onto to Shouyou’s hand tightly. 

        Getting to the other side of the room and opening the door was a relief for everybody. In order to get to the next room, they had to go through a hallway underground. Several people gagged at the stench. Others were hesitant to even enter the hallway. Tobio was pale as they walked. 

        “God, it smells like  _ death  _ in here, man,” one of the guys remarked, just as the ground began to shake. Another girl screamed, only calming down after the guy she was with told her that it wasn’t a real earthquake and it was automated. 

        One of the girls leading the group groaned. “It’s mirror maze, guys,” she said. 

        “Come on,” another one claimed. “I know how to get out of here! Keep your right hand on the wall.”

        And it worked for a bit. It was hard to tell if they lost sight of one another or if they were reflections or not. Tobio didn’t let go of Shouyou’s hand. 

        Shouyou let out a yelp when, after they turned a corner, they saw a dark dressed man. All his clothes were torn and falling off of him, his large black hat covering his face. But it was only a reflection, because when he moved he went away. 

        “Oh my god,” Shouyou said, leaning on Tobio’s chest. If he  _ was  _ a reflection, that meant the real one had to be around there somewhere. Not a pleasant thought.

        Shouyou and Tobio, thankfully, didn’t run into the man running around in the mirror maze, but one of the other duos in their group did and had run to the opposite door screaming. The funniest part being the guy in the duo was bigger and buffer than Tobio.

        The clown room… well, there was a  _ reason  _ people hated clowns. Everyone was on edge as they walked through. Large faces hanging from the walls. Automated, lifesize figures guiding their path. 

        A hand reached out and touched Tobio’s shoulder, and he whipped around. There was nothing. Shouyou pulled him closer, and they continued on. A hand poked Tobio’s back again. When he turned again, there was a clown standing in the middle of the pathway. 

        He started walking slowly towards the group.

        “Nope. Nope. Not doing this. Nope.”

        Tobio picked up Shouyou, slinging him over his shoulder, and ran for the exit. The rest of the group was following him, someone screaming at the top of their lungs. It couldn’t have been Tobio. Nope. Not likely. Not at all.

        “Bakayama!” Shouyou exclaimed. “We didn’t finish the tour!”

        Tobio put him one he’d reached the exit door, pushing it open and leading him outside. “We’re never coming here again,” Tobio said as he held the door open for Shouyou. “Never.”

        “Scardy-yama,” Shouyou said, sticking his tongue out. 

        As they headed back to the main building, the group heard a laugh behind them. They all turned slowly to see the clown from before standing in the doorway, laughing maniacally. 

        Shouyou looked up at Tobio with his eyes as wide as Tobio’s. “And you know what we’re doing tonight? Disney movie marathon. Why? Because we’re not coming here again.”

        And then they ran off, back to the front of the house where Koushi and Daichi were waiting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- The kids decorating the house  
> \- Kei and Tadashi accidental couples costume (I'm trying to think up their arc...)  
> \- Seako and Akiteru's first Halloween with Koushi and Daichi, and the pumpkin carving that ensues  
> \- A young Daichi and Koushi at a Halloween fair and in a maze  
> \- Halloween baking with Koushi and any of the kids you want  
> \- Costume shopping  
> \- Trick or treating. Any focus you'd like to see.


	40. Treating

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shouyou and Tobio fit back into each other's life, and Sora takes her dads out on Halloween night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I saw that a while back, someone mentioned what people thought about Shouyou after they'd returned So I thought I'd add a bit of that in. Enjoy!

        When Shouyou and Sora had first shown up at Tobio’s school, most of his classmates had been curious about them both. The resemblance to Tobio was undeniable in Sora, but she equally undeniably had Shouyou’s eyes. No one was questioning Shouyou’s manhood, either. 

        So it had been a curious thing for many of them. If it hadn’t been obvious how in love Tobio and Shouyou were, even- and perhaps especially- after several years apart, several girls would have jumped on the chance to get with him. As it was, they cooed at Sora whenever Shouyou brought her to the school to pick Tobio up after class. 

        Sora would hide behind Shouyou until Tobio came out to meet them, then she’d be attached to his arms. It often made Shouyou complain, when they were away from unawares mudanes, that he was the one that gave birth to her and she loved everyone else more.

        That made Sora jump into her other father’s arms and give him big kisses, demanding a piggyback ride and showing her affection through all the attention. 

        It was something steadying out. They were managing to work it all out. 

        “How’s the job search going?” Tobio asked as they walked home early October after Shouyou came back.

        “I finally managed an interview!” Shouyou told him cheerfully, Sora swinging between them as she held both their hands, singing and skipping to avoid the cracks in the sidewalk. “There’s an elementary school that needs a new first grade teacher next year, so they want me to work as a student teacher if I get the job for the remainder of the year.”

        Tobio smiled gently at Shouyou, his lips tilting up and his eyes tilting down. “That’s good.”

        Shouyou nodded, rubbing a thumb over Sora’s hand but wishing at that moment it was Tobio’s. “Yeah… I’m… conflicted right now. I mean… I wanna get a place of my own-  _ our  _ own, us, together, so we don’t have to keep relying on Dad and Pa. But you’re doing school still, and it wouldn’t be fair of me to take Sora again after we’ve just come back. And if we did go together, we’d have to pay rent and you’d have to get a job, and that’d be a lot of work on top of everything else.”

        Tobio leaned over Sora and kissed Shouyou’s cheek, making Sora wrinkle her nose. “We’ll figure it out. We don’t need to do everything right now,” Tobio told him. He looked down at Sora and smiled. “Why don’t we focus on something else? We can take Sora trick or treating this year.”

        Sora looked up at Tobio owlishly. “Daddy, wha’s trick or treatin’?” she asked. 

        “You go around in costume and get free candy from people.”

        Sora’s eyes widened and she grinned a smile that could have rivaled Shouyou’s on his best days. 

        “You two will be the death of me.”

        “What did I do?!”

        Every other day, for the rest of the month, Sora seemed to be changing what she wanted to be. A ballerina was often at the top of her list, but she claimed none of the fairy costumes could be as pretty as the real ones- and she had wings anyway, so it was pointless. A magical girl was another popular idea. 

        But then… “A knight!” she exclaimed as she sat with Akusa on Asahi and Yuu’s floor. “And Sa-kun can be my princess!”

        Akusa looked at Asahi and Yuu with wide eyes, a giant grin on his face as well. He toddled over to Asahi and jumped on his lap. 

        “Daddy, me be princess?” he asked, tilting his head. Asahi looked from Yuu to Shouyou and Tobio. Yuu shrugged while Tobio and Shouyou just shared a look. 

        Asahi smiled and placed a hand on Akusa’s head. “If that’s what you really want to be,” he said, making Akusa grin and Sora cheer. 

        Sora bounced over to Shouyou and Tobio. “Papa, can I get a sword? Do I get chainmail? Can I make my own picture?!”

        Shouyou and Tobio shared a look. They’d definitely need help in getting the costume Sora wanted. 

        Help came in the form of Tadashi and Kei. Kei, who designed the costume (making a special symbol of Sora to put on her shield) and Tadashi making it. He made a princess dress for Akusa as well, while he was at it.

        One that didn’t get to go to use, as Akusa ended up ill the night before Halloween and was still feeling the after effects of it. Sora pouted as she stood over Akusa in her knight costume. His dress was still hanging up from his closet, but he was pale and sweating in his bed. 

        “You’ll have to play knights and princesses with me when you get better!” she stated. “So you better get fast, got it?!”

        Akusa gave her a big grin. “‘Kay!” Then he sneezed and Sora waved goodbye so her papas could take her out trick-or-treating. 

        They headed to all the neighborhoods where their family was first- Yuu and Seako and Akiteru and Kei and the others. Sora’s eyes grew wider every time candy got dropped into her bag, and Shouyou didn’t say a word every time she snuck her hand into it to grab a piece. Though Tobio gave him a Look™ every time he ignored the act. 

        Shouyou even let his wings come out as they walked, to guide their path instead of a flashlight. Sora giggled and laughed as she ran down each path to the front door of a house, always running back to the light of Shouyou’s wings as soon as she’d received her candy. 

        “This was a good idea,” Shouyou told Tobio, taking his hand and stepping close enough where there was no room between their shoulder. He tilted his head up and Tobio leaned down, gently kissing his lips. “Thank you.”

        “Of course.”

        “Daddy! Papa! Look what I got!” Sora pushed herself between her parents, holding a large popcorn ball in a store package. 

        Tobio and Shouyou shared a looked before chuckling. Tobio picked Sora up as they walked along to the next house. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First note: I thought about making Sora's costume a dragon, or a dinosaur. She's just seen so many different magical creatures, that the fake stuff for Halloween just doesn't really phase her anymore. So I went with knight, because that also seems like something she'd be into.   
> Second note: Yeah, okay, so I added Akusa! But I love him and his and Sora's relationship as they get older is the one is one of the ones that I see most clearly. 
> 
> Okay, I'll get out of your hair now.
> 
> \- The kids decorating the house  
> \- Kei and Tadashi accidental couples costume (I'm trying to think up their arc...)  
> \- Seako and Akiteru's first Halloween with Koushi and Daichi, and the pumpkin carving that ensues  
> \- A young Daichi and Koushi at a Halloween fair and in a maze  
> \- Halloween baking with Koushi and any of the kids you want


	41. One Witch, Two Witch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Life isn't all about the drama. It's also about the small parts. The little moments of calm and happiness and laughter.

        “Daichi, Yuu and Ryuu are trying to lift a box of decorations by themselves- would you go get it before they break things?”

        “On it!” Daichi called, leaving Akiteru to help Hitoka place the little witch figurines on the mantle of the fireplace. Shouyou was having fun placing the ghost stickers on the window. 

        Shouyou jumped, trying to place one higher, but couldn’t reach it. He whined. “Kei, come help me!” he pleaded. 

        Kei looked up from where he was sorting through the Halloween garland. “No.” Then he went back to it. 

        Shouyou jumped again as Chikara walked into the room. He pulled Shouyou away from the window while clicking his tongue in a very Koushi like way. “You’ll break the window if you keep jumping against it like that,” he chided. He took the sticker from Shouyou’s hand. “Where did you want it? Here?”

        “Higher, higher!” Shouyou exclaimed, jumping up and down. He took on a serious expression as Chikara moved the ghost around. Once he was satisfied, Shouyou jumped up and cheered. “Right there! That’s perfect!”

        “-and they put gravestones in the grass, so it looks like a graveyard,” Seako claimed as she and Koushi walked into the room. She was hanging off of his arm, though not nearly enough to make him drop the box of purple and orange lights he was holding. “Can we do that,  _ please _ , Pa?”

        Koushi looked around at all the others, most of them far younger than Akiteru and Seako, and let out a heavy sigh. “Maybe some other year,” Koushi told her, patting her head. “These ones can’t deal with that kind of spooky yet-”

        “I’m a big kid!” Shouyou exclaimed, pointing to the window. “See, see?! I put the ghosts up! I can handle scary!”

        “You needed Chika’s help to even get them up there,” Kei said snidely, leading to Shouyou kicking at his shins with his tongue stuck out. 

        Hitoka hid behind Akiteru at even the mention of “scary” and “spooky”. “I don’t wanna put spooky stuff up,” she mumbled into Akiteru’s back. Akiteru awkwardly reached around and patted her head. 

        “Pa said no, so we’re not going to put it up.”

        Hitoka breathed a sigh of relief, only jumping  _ slightly  _ when Ryuu and Yuu ran into the room, brown boxes held high over their head while cheering gleefully. 

        “Look what we found!” Ryuu exclaimed, dropping his box with a literal zero amount of grace. Yuu excitedly dropped his by Ryuu’s and it toppled over, clothes and props falling out.

        “Costumes!” Hitoka and Shouyou exclaimed just as Daichi finally entered the room again. 

        He gave Koushi an exasperated look as the kids immediately began going through the old outfits. Hitoka held up a frilly pink princess dress from Saeko's days in pink that had everyone  _ but  _ Seako laughing as she went bright red and tried to hide it under all other other to no avail.

        “They look like they’re having fun, don’t they?” Koushi murmured, leaning against Daichi with a happy smile. Daichi wrapped an arm around Koushi’s shoulders. 

        “Yeah,” he agreed. “They sure do." He leaned his cheek on the top of Koushi's head, a thoughtful look on his features. "You know, I’ve never been able to say no to you. There’s probably a thousand times I’ve want to. But you know what? Even if I had the chance, I wouldn’t change a thing.”

        Koushi leaned up and kissed Daichi cheek, his eyes shining. “Me either.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're getting down to the nitty-gritty of it, guys. 
> 
> School's been rough, and I've been working on some of my other stories. A lot of which haven't gotten great reception, and though there are times when I can deal well with criticism... It's just been hard on this end, with everything else that's been going on. I'm going to try to do more of these anyway, but I might only end up doing a couple of them? Unless you want more.
> 
> Anyway, Happy Halloween, guys! It's been a great month, and honestly, a great ride since I started this. Stick with me 'til the end?
> 
> \- The kids decorating the house  
> \- Kei and Tadashi accidental couples costume (I'm trying to think up their arc...)  
> \- Seako and Akiteru's first Halloween with Koushi and Daichi, and the pumpkin carving that ensues  
> \- A young Daichi and Koushi at a Halloween fair and in a maze  
> \- Halloween baking with Koushi and any of the kids you want


	42. Snow Child

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Babies. Gotta love 'em, right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I realize that I may have lied about the other Halloween chapters, but stuff got very stressful very quickly, so I'm sorry. Anyway, here's this ball of whatever it is. Please enjoy!

        He poked the baby’s cheeks, and she cooed and laughed. 

        He couldn’t actually believe it had happened to him. The least likely adult he knew to be dropped a kid. Though he couldn’t believe it, the child was unmistakably his.

        He lived alone in his apartment. His managers and colleges and everyone else had left some time before he heard the baby crying on his doorstep- which was right before he was about ready to get into bed, mind you. 

        He’d opened the door, saw the baby, and just took her to bed with him. She hadn’t fussed all night, and slept through it all, and hadn’t yet fussed that morning. Which was odd for a baby and all that Kei knew about them. Which wasn’t a lot, but, you know.

        Kei poked her cheek again, and once more she laughed. It was a very odd circumstance indeed. But regardless of the circumstances, she had been given to Kei and by taking her in had accepted her.

        So she was officially his daughter and nothing would change that. 

        Great. 

        Kei let out a heavy sigh, drooping his head as the baby wiggled on his silk sheets (if Kei was being pretentious and living off the modeling wealth in the high life- well, who was there to question his decisions? The baby?). 

        He wasn’t sure who he should call first- his parents and let them know they officially had a new grandchild, his manager so she didn’t freak out when she came by and saw Kei with a random baby (and probably purchase some last minute baby supplies on her way over…), or Shouyou because for some godforsaken reason, the carrot top had popped into his head first. 

        Resigned, Kei picked up his phone to call his manager. He’d talk to her, get her to get the baby things, and then call his parents. He’d call Shouyou last, because the news Kei had received a drop and was now a dad would spread like wildfire from Shouyou’s mouth and Kei wouldn’t have to do unnecessary talking. 

        But he should also call Yamaguchi. Because they were friends. And that’s what friends do. And he’d probably be more help then any of his family because at least Yamaguchi wasn’t  _ annoying _ . 

        Kei almost felt like throwing his phone across the room. 

        He just wanted to go back to bed and stay there for, like, a century. It completely messed up his daily system, getting dropped out of nowhere (seriously, couldn’t anyone in the other realm develop something else, like a warning for people?).

        Kei finally hit the call button on his manager’s number and let the cellphone ring. 

        A yawn cut through the phone once the other side picked up. Kurosawa Midori hummed. “Kei-kun? You’re never alert this early, particularly without your coffee. What’s wrong?”

        Kei grunted, poking at the baby’s cheek again. “I’ll explain it all later, but right now I need you to get me baby supplies. Diapers, formula, bottles. Probably a change of clothes would be helpful. For younger than six months.”

        “Kei-kun? What are you-?”

        “Thanks, Midori-san. I’ll talk to you when you get here.”

        The baby began fussing and Kei ended the call. He turned to her, picking her up in one arm and making his way to the kitchen to grab a well-needed cup of coffee. Midori was right, after all. He never spoke in the morning without a cup of coffee, or several if he’d been working late into the night.

        Once the baby was in Kei’s arm, she stopped fussing so much and began sucking on her thumb. Occasionally her wings beat against Kei, but he barely noticed it as he made the coffee. 

        After a light breakfast, mostly consisting of the coffee, Midori showed up. Right in time, because the baby hadn’t allowed him to put her down without fussing. And it was  _ much  _ too early that. 

        Not even bothering to ring the bell, Midori waltzed in, carrying two large plastic bags filled to the brim with baby supplies, making Kei heave a sigh in relief. 

        He pulled a changing blanket and diapers out of one of the bags and set them on the dining table, before laying the baby on them and changing her swiftly. 

        “So, we gonna talk about the baby?” Midori questioned, coming to stand at Kei’s shoulder and watching as he changed her. “Whose is she?”

        “Mine,” Kei answer stiffly, pulling out a onesie from the other bag. It was a little big on her, but at least it would keep her warm. 

        “Wha- But how do you  _ know _ ?”

        “She’s obviously mine.”

        And Kei refused to say anymore on the matter. 

        While eating (or rather, not eating, seeing how much the little girl kept wiggling in his arms), Kei had called Koushi and Daichi and inquired about how to legally claim her as his child (both had berated him for not naming her right away, but seeing as he’d been too tired to even realize what he was doing, practically ignored them on the matter). He’d called Shouyou, and Shouyou had gushed about the fact they were  _ both  _ dads now. He had also been adamant about Kei needing to name her but, as was easy enough for Kei by then, he put Shouyou on mute in his mind.

        He hadn’t called Yamaguchi yet. As his best friend, Yamaguchi had the right to know. But it just felt… a little like betraying? Wrong somehow? The thought of telling Yamaguchi he was a  _ dad  _ now was just a little bit off putting.

        Midori gave Kei a look as he walked around the kitchen, baby in his arm, as he made a bottle for her. 

        “What’s her name?” Midori asked, leaning on the bar.

        Kei looked down at the baby before turning back to his task. “Good question.”

        Midori’s jaw dropped, her eyes going wide. “You mean you don’t know?!” she shrieked.

        “Nope.” Kei tested the heated formula on his wrist. Judging it good, he urged the baby to eat. She eagerly began sucking from the bottle.

        Midori leaned on the palms of her hands, tilting her head to the side. “Seeing how good you are with her, I’d think something like Noa,” she teased, grinning with a crinkle in the corner of her eyes.

        “Sure.”

        “Wait, really?!”

        “Whatever.”

        Tsukishima Noa, as she’d been dubbed, seemed to like her new name well enough, an grinned toothlessly at Kei when he pulled the bottle away. He couldn’t help but give her a dry grin.

_         Well, at least it won’t be so quiet around here anymore. _

        It was hard to keep the media from hearing about Noa, as they were everywhere, while Kei made sure she was legal and legally his. But with the help of one of Daichi’s lawyer cousins, it was done quickly and efficiently. Exactly how Kei preferred his daily life. 

        Kei had, eventually, bucked up enough courage to tell Yamaguchi to his face that he’d experienced a drop.Yamaguchi had cooed at the sight of her, grinning like a dork as he tried to pick her up. But Noa had fussed and wouldn’t stop crying until she was back in Kei’s arms, leading to several teasing remarks seeing as he’d been the biggest sarcastic asshole of the group.

        As soon as everything was fully legalized, Kei made his first public appearance holding Noa. The pictures were plastered over every magazine that could buy them. 

        When they returned to Kei’s apartment that night, Kei sat in front of Noa and let her hold onto one of his fingers, a tiny bit of frost creeping out from her hold. She reached out for his glasses and almost managed to knock them off, but he managed to keep them on.

        “Well, now they know you exist,” he said, poking at her cheek. “But I guess you’ll get the choice if you want in the limelight or not, huh?” The only thing he got in reply was a gurgle and a coo. Kei sighed heavily, dropping his head. “Just hurry up and grow up already so we can have actual conversations.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also, if people are interested, I could make a list of the chapters in order of when they take place and put it on my tumblr. Anyway, I'm gonna go now. Love ya lots, tater tots.


	43. Enigma

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Happiness cannot forever last.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here we get to the part where the "angst" tag is for the actual characters of the show.

        There was something that the supernatural community didn’t like to address. Rarely ever did they, and only after a serious amount of research and prompting from those looking into it. 

        An enigma like Shouyou. 

        Shouyou, who’s whole power was to  _ fight  _ and  _ protect _ . He could pull magical weapons from his  _ body  _ and fight with them. His invisibility and speed would aid him if he was ever put in the situation it was needed. 

        He was only one example. 

        Offensive spells used exclusively for battle, written down in witches’ spell books that every novice witch learns. The lessons of self-defense all cubs in a werewolf’s pack went through. 

        Everyone was prepared for a war that no one wanted, but would inevitably come. 

        It happened much more in the olden times. The days of old, when the world was made more of forests and trees than buildings and cars. The races constantly fought with one another, and those who belong to opposing races would be made to chose the side to fight on- no matter what they chose, it would only end in tears. 

        It happened less and less as the centuries wore on. But like many things, some beliefs would not die. There were always the purists, who believed that the races should not mix- whether by blood or by familial bonds- and held grudges against those who did align with other races in any way. 

        Chikara had seen it too many times. Seako and Ryuu were the evidence of it. Many years after Seako had moved out and Chikara had joined the force, he’d gone out for drink with her, Hitoka, and Akiteru, Seako had explained in depth the story. 

        Seako had not been the oldest of her siblings in her first family. She’d had four older siblings, and two younger besides Ryuu. Ryuu had been the baby. Out of the eight of them, five had been fae. The eldest wolf had been killed getting Seako and Ryuu out of their home.

        The entire pack had been slaughtered in less than a day, because there was another, purist, pack that saw them as impure and decided that they needed to go. 

        Into her adult life, Seako still had nightmares about it. She loved Yuu, she did, but when he’d first been dropped after she’d come to live with Koushi and Daichi, she’d  _ begged  _ them to give him up. She didn’t want to lose another family. 

        But all was well that ends well, right? It turned out happy. She’d ended up with a good family to grow up with, a good family to raise and live the rest of her life with. 

        It wasn’t as uncommon as the rest of the mass supernatural world wanted everyone to believe. Chikara dealt with a case like Seako’s several times a year. Not always werewolves, not always entire families, not always any survivors. 

        But out of everything, Chikara had never, never expect to say “Not always strangers.”

        Koushi and Daichi were both strong. Both had strong connections and powerful families. They were  _ untouchable _ . Chikara thought it would bleed over to their children, Chikara and his siblings. 

        But he was sitting at home- coloring with Hanae Kimiko while Honoka put Tsubasa and Arata down for their naps, a normal, regular day- when he got the call from Sora. 

        She was crying, sobbing, and her words were intelligible. No fourteen year old girl should have been crying like she was, and Chikara was immediately on alert. 

        “Sora, I need you to calm down,” he said, already going to the door and pulling on his coat. “I need you to tell me what’s going on and where you are. I’m on my way.” He turned back to the house. “Honey, I’m going out. I- don’t know when I’ll be back.”

        Honoka came down the stairs, her forehead creased. “Is something wrong?”

        “It’s Sora.”

        “It’s Pa,” Sora whimpered into the phone. “Dad- I can’t get ahold of Dad. But Pa- something- people- I don’t know who- but they got into the house. I don’t- Uncle Chi- they  _ took  _ Takyua and- and- and they tried to- they tried to-” Sora gagged through the phone and Chikara tensed. “They tried to kill me. Makoto. Ayuka and Haruto and Akito. And Pa- Pa told me to get out of the house. To take the Ayuka and the boys and run but- but I didn’t- I only got Akito and I- I don’t know about the others- I don’t- I’m scared, Uncle Chi. What’s- What’s going on?”

        “Where are you?” Chikara questioned again, already heading out to the car. 

        “The- The alleyway behind Ukai-san’s store.”

        “Go in, and tell Ukai-san what happened,” Chikara told her. “I’m on my way. Don’t- Don’t worry. Everything will be alright, Sora.”

        Sora gulped, her breathing labored. “Ye-Yeah. I’ll- I’m gonna go inside.”

        “And stay put. Don’t leave the store.” The line was cut moments later, after affirmation from Sora, and Chikara dialed the phone again while stopped at a redlight. His partner picked up, but before he could speak, Chikara cut in. “I need you to send an evac-group to the address I give you, and it’s likely there’s going to need to be an ambulance as well. We don’t have time for questions, you need to get them there ASAP.”

        “Got it. Give me the address.”

        Chikara pulled into the parking lot to Ukai’s store, running inside. Ukai pointed to the counter and Chikara found Sora and Akio behind it, hiding out of sight. He breathed a sigh of relief as they ran into his arms. 

        He hugged them tight and Sora sobbed into Chikara’s shirt. Both were covered in bandages, almost from head to toe, and there was something suspiciously red and sticky still in the tips of Sora’s hair. 

        But they were here and alive. Chikara looked up to Ukai, holding onto the two children tightly. “Thank you for taking care of them,” he said. “I’ll need you to watch after them a little longer, though. I need to go check on Shou.”

        Ukai nodded, and Chikara reluctantly pulled away. Sora’s eyes went wide, and she held tightly to Chikara’s shirt, unwilling to let him go. 

        “You’re gonna come back, right?!” she exclaimed. “You’ll come back, won’t you?!”

        “Of course I am,” Chikara promised, placing a hand on her head. “But I need to go to your dad now, alright? You need to stay her with Ukai-san. He’ll protect you two.”

        “We’ll probably just go back to my house,” Ukai said. “Close shop for the day. It’s better protected there, too.”

        Chikara nodded, pulling Sora into one last hug. “Take care of your brother, and I’ll take care of your pa, alright?”

        Sora nodded reluctantly, pulling Akio into her arms and watching Chikara. 

        The entire way to Shouyou and Tobio’s house, Chikara was tense. Terrified of what he’d see. Not  _ wanting  _ to see. 

        As he turned onto the block the house was on, the police cars and ambulances were enough. But as he got out of the car, he didn’t see any body bags, and he counted that as a blessing. From near the house, behind yellow tape, Chikara’s partner saw him. 

        “Ennoshita!” he shouted, running up to him. “Your brother’s still in there. He’s on the defensive, so we can’t get to him, but he looks hurt.”

        Chikara looked over to the house, a set look upon his features. “Let me go to him,” he said. “He’s my brother. I might be able to get to him.”

        His partner looked hesitant, but nodded. “Yeah, go ahead. We’ll be on standby incase anything happens.”

        Chikara made his way into the house. Everything was a mess. Broken flower pots and picture frames littered the floor. Deep scratched tore into the walls, and blood stained them red. It made Chikara sick. 

        He found Shouyou standing in the living room, two bodies fallen on the floor and Chikara couldn’t tell if they were breathing. (He almost hoped they weren’t, with the injuries they had, they’d be wishing they were dead) 

        Shouyou’s head was a deeper red than usual, matted to his head with blood. The blood on his face and clothes and arms were indistinguishable is they were his or another’s. There was a wild, feral look in his dilated eyes. 

        Chikara took a step into the room, his foot crunching on broken glass. 

        Shouyou spun around, his magic sword pointed at Chikara’s chest. Chikara slowly raised his hands and Shouyou snarled. 

        “Shou, it’s me, Chi,” Chikara said softly. “You brother. Chikara. I’m here.”

        A look of recognition finally dawned on Shouyou’s face and he dropped the sword. His eyes immediately filled with tears and he fell into Chikara’s arms, sobbing loudly. Chikara held him tightly, not caring for the blood and only wanting to give his brother comfort.

        “Where’s Sora?” Shouyou questioned, pushing himself off Chikara. His eyes were frantic as he pulled on Chikara’s coat “Akio? Are they safe? Are they okay? _ Chi, where are they? _ ”

        “They’re  _ safe _ , Shouyou,” Chikara said, grabbing onto Shouyou’s shoulders and shaking him lightly. “They’re with Ukai. But we need to get you looked at. I think the kids have already been taken to the hospital. Then we’ll need you to tell us exactly what happened so we can find Takuya and the ones who did this, alright?” 

        Shouyou nodded, clinging to Chikara. Chikara nodded as well, leading Shouyou out of the house and to an ambulance. Things were, not at all, a pretty sight.


	44. A Wish for Better Times

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some injuries take days to heal, some take weeks, some take years. But the people you care about are with you the entire way through the wake of heartbreak.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That last chapter really came out of nowhere, huh? I'm sorry. It's... apparently really hard for me to not write something like that in one of my books? So, uh, sorry if that threw you for a loop. I'll try to keep that level of angst to a minimum. Hopefully this will be the last chapter, as this is the aftermath and me tying up loose ends. 
> 
> Alright. I'll get out of your hair. Enjoy the chapter! Or, you know, maybe cry.

        Shouyou laid in the hospital bed, looking up at the ceiling. 

        A twisted ankle, a broken wrist, and several large gashes on his body. The only reason he’d been able to move at all after the attack and not succumb to the pain was because the adrenaline and desire to protect his children. 

        Tobio had been found in an alley several streets away after his phone had been called and someone followed the ringtone. They’d gotten to him first, and from looting his wallet, the rouge pack had found their house. He was in bad shape, and had required surgery. He’d been out for a while from the blood loss, but after waking up and recovering a bit, he’d been moved to the same room as Shouyou so they were closer.

        Sora and Akio had managed to get away with little more than scrapes. Makoto was still in intensive care, in and out of a delirious sleep. The doctors were keeping an eye on him to make sure that he didn’t have an infection. 

        Akyaka and Haruto had also required emergency surgery. Akyaka having received broken bones and ribs, and deep gashes. Haruto had the more serious injuries of the two, things Shouyou didn’t even like to think about, and was still unconscious. Both would have matching scars on their faces.

        But Takuya…

        Chikara had come by more than once- the entire family had- with news of how the case was going. It wasn’t… well. 

        They hadn’t found Takuya yet, nor most of the pack that had attack Shouyou and Tobio’s home. 

        Shouyou never liked crying, even if he did it most out of many of the people he knew. There were time when it was okay to cry, like during sad scenes in a movie and when something just so  _ good  _ happens you can’t stop them- 

        But laying in a hospital, all of his children injured or missing and his husband laying in the bed on the other side of the room, was not either of those times. 

        Shouyou  _ wanted  _ to cry. He  _ needed  _ to cry. He knew  _ very well _ that no one would judge him if he cried, that it was  _ okay _ . But he still couldn’t. He was at the point of wanting to cry so badly that the tears refused to fall. 

        “Shou?” Tobio grunted as he sat up in bed, his heart monitor beeping methodically. Shouyou didn’t answer. He grunted once more as he swung his legs over the side, gripping onto his IV drip. “You awake?”

        “Yeah.”

        Tobio shuffled over to Shouyou’s bed, lowering himself to a sitting position as Shouyou scooted over to make room. Tobio reached down and cupped Shouyou’s face. 

        “You okay?”

        The question  _ hurt _ , and Shouyou’s eyes welled up with unshed tears. “No.” Tobio pulled Shouyou into a tight hug, mindful of his cast and bandages. Shouyou openly sobbed into Tobio’s hospital shirt. “I was so scared, and I didn’t know what to do. I still don’t know what to do. I don’t know where my baby is, and I just want to hold him and make sure he’s alright. All of our other babies got hurt and- and- and I was so- so  _ scared _ . I can’t- I  _ can’t- _ ”

        Tobio squeezed Shouyou tightly. “I know, Shouyou. I know.”

        Haurto woke up two days later, crying out for Shouyou and Tobio. The doctors had had to do check ups on him, but then he and Akaya were taken to their parents. Sora and Akio were brought by, and the family watched through glass into Makoto’s room.

        After another night or so of observations, Tobio and the majority of their children were released back home, where Koushi and Daichi were staying to look after them until they were all healed. 

        Makoto’s condition and Takuya’s search were not going well. Hitoka couldn’t heal Makoto, no matter how hard she tried, and Kenma couldn’t get a clear read on Takuya either. Both felt like they’d failed, somehow.

        Almost a week had passed since their release from the hospital when Chikara called. “We might have a lead,” he said before he cut the line, having to hurry out with the other officers. 

        All the others waited with baited breath. 

        The house- more of a worn down warehouse- was several prefectures over, and secluded in a way that couldn’t have made it any more obvious that it was shady. 

        Chikara went with the group that scouted around the back. 

        The smell of mold, rust, and dust permeated the air as the back door creaked open. Large wooden boxes- some intact, many broken- were all about the warehouse. Several heavy chains hung from the rafters, and broken glass was littered near the windows. 

        Chikara walked with careful steps on the concrete floor, careful to keep his footsteps quiet to not draw attention to himself. 

        He caught the smell of smoke and he gestured for the others to follow him. He found a group of grungy werewolves sitting around a carefully made fire. 

        His eyes widened when he spotted Takuya. The twelve year old was sitting in the corner of a broken crat, looking completely out of his. Bruises dotted his skin and face, grunge and grim clinging to him like a second skin. He still wore his gym clothes, and his glasses were nowhere to be seen. His hands were tied in front of him with a zip tie, with it digging into his skin tightly.

        The sight made Chikara sick, but ke kept his emotions in check as he signaled to one of the others in the group. The woman typed out a message to the others waiting outside, detailing how many opponents there were and where they were.

        The group spread out in a circular formation around the group, just as the other group burst in through the front doors. The pack jumped to their feet and tensed, ready for a fight. Several turned into their wolf forms.

        “Hands up where we can see them!” a man shouted. 

        “Come any closer and we kill the kid,” one of the pack snarled, two of the turned wolves readying to pounce at Takuya. His eyes were a little more aware now, the commotion having woken him from his trance. 

        Everything was tense, no one moved. Chikara couldn’t be sure if he was breathing. 

        The leader of the pack broke the silence with a growl. “Now, you’re all going to put your weapons down, and you’re going to let us leave, or the kid gets it.”

        Someone sent Chikara warning looks as he slunk closer to Takuya’s crate. 

        “Put down your weapons.”

        “Chief, we can’t-”

        “Put down your weapons! We don’t want casualties.”

        Slowly, the visible officers put down their weapons. The witch in the group scowled as he did so, the runes tattooed on his arms glowing and pulsing, but he didn’t set any of them off. 

        Chikara was right behind Takuya’s crate, and the slight tap on the wood had Takuya’s gaze drawn towards him. Chikara grin, and a heavy air seemed to lift off of Takuya’s chest. 

        “Get the kid,” the leader snarled. “We’re getting out of here.”

        One of the wolves turned back and headed for the crate. Takuya visibly froze, the fear evident in his entire movement. 

        Chikara stood before the werewolf could reach the crate, his gun at the ready. “Stay the  _ fuck  _ away from my nephew.”

        The bullet flew out of Chikara’s gun and lodged into the werewolf’s shoulder, making him howl in pain as he stumbled back. The witch lifted his hands, making an icy sheet under the werewolves feet as Chikara jumped into the crate, holding Takuya to help shield him from any crossfire. A fairy rose up into the air with her wings, dropping down and elbowing another werewolf in the back of her head. A werewolf officer let out a howl before jumping on one of the pack members. A ferrokinesis user pulled the chains all around the room towards herself before making them wrap around the pack, holding them together.

        With all of them captured, the chief grinned, his eyes glowing gold and dark purple streaks growing out and spreading around his face from the corner of his eyes. 

        “Remember now; you may think it is impure, but you cannot doubt that we are good. Having only one skill set in a team will ruin you, you know.”

        Then he raised his hand, a purple mist coming from it and making the pack collapse unconscious against each other.

        Chikara turned to Takuya, brushing black hair out of his face while the other officers dragged the wolf pack out to the transportation vans.

        “You okay?” he asked softly to keep from spooking him. Takuya nodded slightly, tear tracks making their way down his face. He wordlessly leaned again Chikara and Chikara cut the zip ties on his wrists. 

        He put an arm under Takuya’s legs and one behind his back and picked him up. Takuya hiccuped as Chikara walked out of the warehouse. 

        “Thanks for coming for me, Uncle Chi,” Takuya murmured, his voice shaking. Chikara smiled down at him.

        “Anytime, kiddo. Anytime.”

        Takuya was taken to the hospital Makoto was in, immediately getting treated and looked at. As if sensing his brother nearby, Makoto woke up. As awake and aware as if it was a normal day and he hadn’t been in the hospital delirious for the last several weeks. 

        After Takuya’s statement to the police about the horror that had happened to him, Makoto finally managed to convince the doctors he definitely  _ was  _ well enough to have visitors, and it was Takuya, his  _ twin brother _ , and if  _ no one _ else, it was  _ him _ , and he’d watched him get  _ kidnapped  _ and needed to make sure he was okay with his  _ own  _ eyes.

        Though Takuya was generally  _ very  _ adamant about not letting Makoto hug him whenever he felt like it, he allowed it upon their reunion, and even hugged Makoto in return. 

        Shouyou, Tobio, and Sora were at the hospital almost as soon as they got the call Takuya was there. 

        They joined the two boys in Makoto’s hospital room, wrapping both Makoto and Takuya in a group hug. 

        Sora laughed as she brushed tears from her eyes. “Guys, you’re gonna overwhelm me with all this overflowing happiness,” she complained, making Makoto laugh until he cringed at the pain it caused his stomach. 

        The doctors shooed them out of the hospital room, berating them all for getting Makoto too excited when he’d only just woken up. 

        “We’ll come back tomorrow,” Shouyou promised, pressing a kiss to Makoto’s forehead. “Get some sleep tonight.”

        Makoto whined as he obediently laid down. “But Paaaaaa. I was just asleep for so looooong. Do I hafta?”

        “Yes, you do, so you can get better and come home sooner,” Tobio said, placing a hand on Makoto’s head. Makoto grinned up at Tobio, and Tobio smiled a bit in return. 

        As they walked out to the car, Takuya having been cleared of anything but bruising, Tobio wrapped an arm around Shouyou. 

        “We’ll be okay,” he promised.

        Shouyou entwined their fingers on his waist. “Yeah. We’re all- We’ll be okay now.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you really like this kind of angst, I would suggest reading my series "[That happened...](https://archiveofourown.org/series/760578)" where I post oneshots from animes like Haikyuu!!, Free!, Yuri on Ice!!!, My Hero Academia, among others. I cover things from angst to fluff, to merely the odd and bizarre. But I feel most people came here for the feel-good, family fluff, so I'll try to keep this story like that.
> 
> [My tumblr](https://nightshadedawn.tumblr.com/) is a good place to yell at me about my life choices. Or, you know, anything. That's all from Nyx. I'm out!


	45. Got Me Up on My Tip Toes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sora talks to her parents about the prestigious ballet school she was accepted to. However, it’s all the way across the country and she’s only fifteen.

       Christmas when she was five, her parents had taken her to a ballet production of  _ The Nutcracker _ . That had been her first experience with ballet. She’d never been interested in volleyball, which was odd, considering who her parents were. But after that initial encounter with the dance style, she’d been in love, and soon enrolled in classes.

       Nine years later, and Kageyama Sora sat on her bedroom floor, holding the letter in her hand. 

       A letter accepting her into a school she’d never applied to, but had been accepted to all the same. 

_        To Kageyama Sora, _

_        You have been accepted to Cape Coral Conservatory’s ballet program to further your education with a full scholarship, should you with to take it. Room and board are provided, and all the necessary items needed to bring are listed below. The staff at Cape Coral were impressed by your performance in this recent school festival, and we strongly urge your consideration in coming to our school. We expect your reply before the new semester starts. _

       The letter was signed by the school’s principal, and the next paper from the envelope detailed all the things Sora would need to bring with her to the school, all the way on the other side of Japan. 

       Sora looked from the letter to the ballet shoes hanging from her bed post. Of  _ course  _ she’d heard of Cape Coral.  _ Everyone  _ in the ballet world, and some besides, knew of Cape Coral Conservatory. It was where the best of the best went to learn how to dance. It was where all the  _ best  _ dancers came from. All the teachers were once professional dancers.

       It would be a dream come true.

_        If  _ she could convince her parents. 

       Ever since the incident the year before… and the thing with Takuya… and honestly… well, since  _ ever _ , really, both Shouyou and Tobio had been protective. It wouldn’t be easy, convincing them to do anything. 

       But  _ both  _ of them had been able to follow their dream, in some form or another. One had went on to play professional volleyball and the other had found his fae roots, and also played professional for a while. With three kids, it was kinda hard.

       But anyway, that wasn’t Sora’s point! Her point was that this was something she  _ wanted _ . And if she was going to do it, she’d need to talk to them soon. Her last few weeks of her first year of high school were upon her, and she’d need to get ready to go if she was going to go to Cape Coral.

       “Sora!” Shouyou called, making Sora almost jump out of her skin. “Lunch is ready! Get in here before it gets cold!”

       “Coming, Pa!” Sora yelped, pushing the letter under her mattress. She dashed out of the room, not giving the letter another thought for the rest of the day. 

       As it turned out, it proved extremely hard to bring up the subject of the school change to either Shouyou or Tobio. With his work as a children’s book artist, Tobio was shut up in his studio drawing and painting at all hours of the day. There were times Sora would swear she didn’t see him for days on end (it didn’t help that she had her ballet classes that went on until late). Shouyou always seemed to be busy, taking care of the younger three and keeping up with the things he had to grade for his classes. 

       Everyone was always so busy, always going all over the place. 

       Sora groaned as she thought about it, leaning on the fence of a bridge she and Akusa were crossing on their way home from school to her house to study. 

       “I’m never gonna be able to tell them,” she whined. “Then I’m gonna be stuck going to this high school next year and I’m gonna lose my chance to be someone great, and it’s gonna be  _ awful _ , Aku-chan.”

       Akusa gripped the straps of his bag and leaned by Sora, looking over at her and tilting his head. He grinned brightly. “You can do it!” he told her. “You’ll tell Uncle Shou and Uncle Tobio and go to Cape Coral and be a great dancer and forget about little old me.”

       Sora gave Akusa a lopsided grin. “Not gonna happen,” she told him with a roll of her eyes. She messed up his long hair as she stood up. “As if I’d ever forget my baby cousin.”

       “I’m only a year younger than you, So-chan! Juuruo’s the baby! Or Arata!”

       Sora chortled as she walked off, Akusa in her wake. 

       “We’re home!” Sora called as she and Akusa took their shoes off. She led Akusa to her room, talking about what so-and-so had done in class today, or who had asked who at lunch  _ this  _ time. Akusa stared all wide-eyed at Sora as she talked animatedly. 

       They both froze when they saw Akio holding the letter from Cape Coral, one that Sora had  _ very carefully _ hidden under her mattress. He froze, staring at them. Then, before a word could be said, he zipped from the room between Sora and Akusa, letter still in hand.

       “You little-!” Sora exclaimed, turning on her heel and running after him. 

       Shouyou was in the kitchen when Sora finally caught up to Akio. He picked up the crying boy in his arms, gently tutting and wrestling the paper from his hand. “How many times have you been told not to go in other people’s rooms?” he reprimanded, making Akio look sheepish. Shouyou set Akio down, his eyes going wide when he caught some of the words on the letter.

       Akio ran from the room, but Sora stood in frozen silence. 

       Shouyou’s face broke into a bright grin. “Sora!” he exclaimed, picking her up and spinning her, something he hadn’t been able to do in nearly six years. “This is great! Why didn’t you tell us?! They thought you were great! Were you thinking of applying?”

       Sora let out a small chuckle as Shouyou set her down. She rubbed her arm self consciously. “Um, yeah…” She looked away, unable to meet Shouyou’s eye. “I just… didn’t know how to tell you. Cape Coral… is on the other side of Japan.”

       Shouyou’s expression fell. “Sora-”

       Sora raised her hands. “Nope. No. I get it. You guys- aren’t going to want me to go. I know. I’m just- I’m gonna go study with Akusa.”

       She turned on her heels, running up to her room before Shouyou could get a word in otherwise. Tobio came into the kitchen, wide eyed, as she ran past. Shouyou looked so  _ defeated _ . 

       Tobio looked at the door and then at Shouyou. He removed his glasses and set them in his shirt pocket. “What was that about?” he asked. Shouyou sighed heavily, leaning on the counter. He held out the letter to Tobio.

       Tobio took the letter and read it silently. 

       “It’s so far away,” Shouyou complained, letting his forehead rest on the counter. “I don’t want to let my baby go so far yet.”

       “Well, she is growing up, Shou.”

       “She’s only fifteen!”

       Tobio sighed, pinching his nose as he placed the letter on the counter. Shouyou looked up with a pout. “She’s much more mature than either of us were at her age,” he said softly.

       “But  _ she’s- _ ”

       “Going to be fine,” Tobio said. He smiled slightly as he placed a hand on Shouyou’s shoulder. “She’s got this chance to achieve her dream. Shouldn’t we support her?”

       Shouyou leaned on Tobio’s chest, still pouting. “But Sora’s always been my baby girl,” he mumbled. “I’m not really to let her go off into the world by herself yet.”

       Tobio snorted, wrapping his arms around Shouyou and setting his chin in Shouyou’s hair. “You do realize who we’re talking about, right?” he asked. “Sora could beat up anyone who dared lay a hand on her without her permission. She can beat up Ryuu. She’s clever. She’ll figure things out.”

       Shouyou sighed and closed his eyes, wrapping his arms around Tobio as well. “I know. She’s growing up and gonna leave us behind in no time.”

       Dinner was tense, several hours later, after Akusa had gone home. Sora picked at her food and Tobio and Shouyou shared concerned looks. Takuya and Makoto were, for once, respectful of the silence, and the youngest three seemed to have picked up on the tenseness of the situation. 

       Shouyou looked to Tobio once more before placing his chopsticks down while he gave a quiet sigh. “Takuya, Makoto, I do believe you both have homework to finish before tomorrow,” he said. “And you three need to start getting ready for bed. You’re all excused from the table.”

       Sora began gathering everyone’s plates onto hers when Tobio caught her arm. “Not you,” he said. “Sit.”

       “I’ll… get the dishes,” Makoto said, taking the plates Sora had gathered. Takuya snorted. 

       “You’re the one who didn’t even  _ start  _ the homework earlier. I’ve got one assignment left.  _ I’ll  _ get ‘em.”

       Takuya grabbed the plates and walked into the kitchen before Makoto could argue. Ayaka tugged on his sleeve. 

       “Is big sis in trouble?” she asked. 

       Makoto rubbed the back of his neck while chuckling dryly. “Maybe?”

       “No, she’s not, now shoo, both of you,” Shouyou said, shooing them upstairs. He stood by the door, watching them until they were out of sight. He made his way back to his seat, but no one spoke until Takuya had started the water for dishes in the kitchen.

       Sora clenched her skirt tightly, looking down at the table. She bit her lip. “This is about the letter, isn’t it?” she stated. “The one from Cape Coral.”

       Shouyou and Tobio looked at one another before both nodded. “Yes, it is,” Tobio said, sliding the letter over to Sora. 

       Sora’s eyes flickered over to the letter, then went back to the blank paper. “So… So what?” she asked, letting out a sorry excuse for a laugh. “I’m not- I’m not going, am I? It’s not like I had high hopes or anything. It’s- It’s fine. I’m fine. I can- I’ll just finish school here. Go to some random university. Then make my own way once I get out. I can…” Sora whimpered, gripping even harder on her skirt’s hem. “I can give up ballet, because I’ll never get anywhere big without Cape Coral.”

       “Sora, you don’t have to give up ballet-”

       Sora rose to her feet quickly, her chair scraping on the floor loudly. “Of course I do!” she exclaimed. “Anyone who’s anyone in Japanese ballet has gone to Cape Coral! I can’t- I’ll never be anything without it! And- And ballet is my  _ life _ ! If I can’t do anything with my ballet, what am I?  _ Who  _ am I?”

       Sora was quiet, her fists shaking at her sides. She felt like crying, could even feel the tears welling up in her eyes. But she  _ couldn’t _ . She didn’t want to cry. She couldn’t cry. 

       “We understand that,” Tobio stated. He situated in his chair. “We were the same with volleyball. In many ways, we still are. It was one of the many forces that drove us together. However, you should listen to your father before you interrupt.”

       Shouyou was beaming. He grabbed Sora’s hand. “You don’t have to give up ballet- because you’re going to Cape Coral,” he told her excitedly. 

       Sora looked at Shouyou and Tobio, her eyes wide and mouth unable to close properly. “What- But I thought-”

       Tobio looked over at Shouyou before turning back to Sora and nodding. “Of course,” he said. “It’s… a scary thought. With everything that’s been going on. Everything that’s happened. Everything that  _ could  _ happen.” He took in a deep breath. “But you were always strong. Always have been. And just like Shou, you’re extremely passionate about what you love.”

       “And like Tobio,” Shouyou said, jabbing the other man in the side, “you’re dedicated.”

       Tobio sent him a glare while rubbing his side, but nodded at Sora. “You’ll be able to take care of yourself,” he said with conviction. “So… You’re allowed to go.”

       “As long as you call,” Shouyou cut in. “Every day-”

       “ _ Thaaaat’s _ a bit much.”

       “Every  _ other  _ day. And be careful.”

       “Obviously.”

       Sora could barely hear them, beaming to wide and her mind moving too fast. She practically launched over the table to wrap her parents in a bear hug. 

       “Thank you!” she squealed. “Thankyouthankyouthankyou! Thaaaaank youuuu!”

       “You’re welcome, kid,” Tobio said, awkwardly, while patting Sora’s head. Shouyou rolled his eyes and hugged Sora back, finally pulling Tobio into the hug as well.

       The first year’s exams came by in a flash, and the entrance exams for the middle schoolers. Three days before Sora’s flight out, Makoto and Takuya were accepted to her school- well, her old one. Both were immensely pleased to be going to Karasuno.

       But then it was time to go to the airport, and, for the first time, fly out for school. To spend months away from her parents. Most of her things had already been sent to the school, so all Sora had to take with her was a small bag she could carry with her. 

       “I’ll miss you,” Sora said, hugging both Shouyou and Tobio tightly. She shot her brothers a glare over their shoulders. “Not you.”

       Takuya stuck out his tongue and Tobio smacked the back of their heads. “You two will miss each other and nagging each other by the time we’ve even gotten home,” he said with a sigh. 

       Shouyou pulled Sora into one last hug. “I’ll miss you so much,” he whispered in her ear. “But I know you’ll make us proud, no matter what happens.” He pulled away with a weepy smile. “Be careful, Sora.”

       “Course, Pa,” Sora told him. She looked at her watch. “I, uh, I guess I better get going.”

       “Yeah, of course,” Shouyou said, quickly nodding and stepping back. He brushed at his tears. “Um, remember to call us when you land!”

       “Obviously.” Sora shook her head with an amused grin. 

       “Hey, wait for us!”

       The group turned as Akusa and Noa came running. Both tugged carry on bags behind them. Sora stared at them in shock as they stopped by the group.

       “Wha- I told you guys goodbye yesterday!” Sora whined. “I  _ told  _ you I wouldn’t be able to do this! I’d get too weepy and wouldn’t be able to go!”

       “That’s why we’re going with you,” Akusa said, sucking in a deep breath and standing up straight. He flourished the paper in his hand. An acceptance letter to Cape Coral. “You can’t go anywhere without your lead orchestra member!”

       “Nor without your costume designer,” Noa claimed with a smirk, holding her own acceptance letter in two fingers, the other hand resting on her hip. Sora looked between the two of them.

       “But… guys… you didn’t have to… Noa, you’re not even a high schooler yet!” she exclaimed. 

       Noa’s smirk only grew. “The perks of having a famous father,” she stated. “And besides, if I couldn’t pass the entrance exam, I wouldn’t have gotten in. Therefore, I’m now a first year in high school! And you’re not leaving me behind.”

       Sora looked between the two of them, laughing. “What about your parents?” she questioned. 

       “Pa and Dad had to take care of Reina and Riku, so they couldn’t come,” Akusa explained. “I already told them bye-”

       “Dad and Tadashi dropped us off,” Noa said, flipping her hair. “But Dad had a photo shoot to get to, so they couldn’t stay long. But we’re all ready to go, so we should go! We’ll be late to the plane if we don’t leave  _ now _ . And  _ be-lieve  _ me, trying to refund money because of a missed flight is a pain, even when you’re Tsukishima Kei’s daughter.”

       “She’s right,” Tobio said. “We’ll call you all later to check on you-”

       “There’s no need for that, Lord Uncle.”

       It was Shouyou’s turn to smack a child on the back of their head. Noa pouted at him. “Anyway, we will. You kids be careful, and stick together.”

       After one last group hug, the trio ran off to the plane, only looking back once as they boarded. 

       “What are we, some kind of anime protagonists?” Noa asked huffily as she got on. Sora and Akusa looked at each other. 

       “Nah, those are totally our parents.”

       “Totally.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: I used Cape Coral Conservatory as a school in a Harry Potter fanfiction of mine. It was Cape Coral Conservatory for Young Witches in Sweden, and the carriages to get to the school were pulled by friendly (and willing) unicorns seeing as the entire campus was made up of females. 
> 
> On another note, Happy Thanksgiving to all those who celebrate it. And to everyone regardless- I just want to express my thanks for reading my story. I keep getting a little weepy myself, seeing as I went and plotted out several chapters the other day, almost up to #100, the other day. Thanks again, and I'll try to keep the gushiness out of the note section now. Happy Thanksgiving, once again.

**Author's Note:**

> I'll take requests.


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